GURGAON: YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, who was prevented by police from joining Saturday’s Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest, described his detention as an act of ‘kidnapping’.Rathee, an Indian citizen who lives in Germany and came here for the protest, said in a video post he was released by cops around 3am on Sunday after being held in detention for over 20 hours without access to a lawyer or phone.He also alleged his parents were manhandled during the detention, accusing the Centre of creating an “unofficial Emergency”.In the video, posted at 11.19am on Sunday, Rathee alleged that he was forcibly taken from his bedroom without even being allowed time to wear his slippers. He also claimed that he was assaulted and had sustained injuries all over his body.“These people have literally sent ‘gundas’ to kidnap me. There were more than 50 ‘gundas’ outside my house… I was dragged from my bedroom like a criminal,” he said.According to sources, Rathee returned to his parents’ house in Kendriya Vihar, Sector 56, on Sunday morning amid police presence, with around 50 personnel in plain clothes gathered near his apartment complex.The detention came amid protests in Delhi led by the CJP demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The demonstrations on Saturday were met with extensive security arrangements, barricading, traffic restrictions and detentions of protesters.Recounting the events of Saturday morning, Rathee alleged that around 20 men in plain clothes entered his house around 7am while he was still asleep. His mother, who opened the door after hearing a commotion outside, was allegedly pushed aside as the group entered the house and moved towards his bedroom.“Before I could react, these people literally kidnapped me. The operation did not follow procedure expected during an arrest or detention. They literally dragged me out of the bedroom, took me down the stairs. I have injuries all over my body,” he alleged.Rathee claimed that even his parents’ phones were seized, leaving them unable to record the incident. The YouTuber was kept in detention at Sector 39 crime branch after he was picked up from his home.“They kept me confined for 20 hours, neither allowed me to access a phone, nor allowed me to speak to a lawyer. The police personnel kept telling me that it was neither an arrest nor a detention and that I would be released.” Rathee said in the video.Questioning the circumstances in which he was taken from his home, Rathee said he would have accompanied the police willingly had an officer identified himself, explained the legal provisions, and asked him to visit a police station.He claimed that around 15 police personnel had been stationed around his house after his release, monitoring his movements and effectively placing him under what he described as unofficial house arrest.He said he would not back down. “I will continue to raise my voice for the country in this same way no matter how much you try to suppress me,” he said.
