A Delhi court has issued fresh summons to YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in a defamation case filed in 2018 by Vikas Pandey, a member of the BJP's IT cell, noting that efforts to serve the summons on the accused have continued for several years.
Judicial Magistrate Rahul Jain of the Saket court passed the order on October 12 after hearing an application filed by Pandey seeking fresh summons. The matter, which was earlier scheduled for November 20, was taken up earlier following a request by the complainant.
The court observed that the complainant had been trying to serve Rathee for several years and noted that the YouTuber was initially summoned in July 2019.
According to submissions made before the court, Rathee, who ordinarily resides in Austria, was in India to participate in protests organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) in the national capital.
Advocate Samaksh Sharma, appearing for Pandey, told the court that Rathee had travelled to India for the protests and argued that fresh summons were necessary to ensure that the legal notice reached him.
The court directed that fresh summons, including dasti summons, be issued to Rathee at his address in Gurugram, Haryana. Dasti summons allow the complainant or an authorised person to take the court-issued summons for service. The court also permitted Pandey to accompany the official responsible for serving the summons. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for October 17.
The case dates back to 2018, when Pandey filed a complaint against Rathee over a video uploaded on the YouTuber's channel. The complaint alleged defamation in connection with the content of the video.
Rathee had initially been summoned in July 2019. The latest order seeks to facilitate service of the summons as the proceedings continue. The fresh summons do not amount to a finding of guilt. The allegations in the complaint remain subject to judicial proceedings. Rathee is also facing other legal proceedings, including a Rs 20 lakh defamation suit filed by BJP leader Suresh Karamshi Nakhua.
Nakhua alleged that Rathee had described him as a "violent and abusive troll" in a video uploaded in July 2024. A court issued summons and notice to Rathee in that case the same month.
In a separate matter, Amit Sachdeva filed a complaint over a video by Rathee, alleging that it contained objectionable remarks about Hindu deities and Sanatan Dharma. The complaint sought registration of an FIR under Sections 196 and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
On October 10, 2026, Delhi and Gurugram Police detained Rathee from his residence in Sector 56, Gurugram, ahead of his planned participation in a CJP protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. He was released after around 22 hours.