NEW DELHI: YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was released late on Saturday night, hours after he was apprehended from his Gurugram residence ahead of a planned demonstration by the Cockroach Janta Party against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
According to officials, Rathee was released at around 3:00 AM on Sunday and handed over to his family. He had been taken into custody around 7:30 AM on Saturday from his apartment in the Kendriya Vihar society, located in Sector 56, Gurugram.
“He can be detained again, or further legal action might be taken if he tries to go to Jantar Mantar despite prohibitory orders,” a police official was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita, authorities can temporarily detain an individual for up to 24 hours without producing them before a magistrate, unless governed by specific special laws.
Meanwhile, key CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka, and Saurav Das were also released after being produced before the Executive Magistrate at the Delhi Cantt Police Station. Their release came with a condition barring them from “breaching the peace” for a period of one year, according to Ratna Singh, head of the party’s legal affairs. Following his release, CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka told reporters that the party would hold a press conference at 2:00 PM.
High Security and City-Wide Restrictions
The detentions followed an extensive security setup across the national capital on Saturday as security forces sought to block protesters from gathering at Jantar Mantar. Protesters were demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities linked to the SIR exercise.
Around 41,000 security personnel were deployed, turning Delhi into a virtual fortress. The security operation led to the detention of nearly 7,000 people and left large areas of the city deserted. Those detained included politicians, lawyers, students, four former chief ministers, and leaders of the CJP, a satirical movement that had previously forced the resignation of the education minister three months ago. Despite police efforts to clear assemblies, sporadic demonstrations continued across various parts of the capital throughout the day.
Protests to Continue as Supreme Court Takes Up Matter
One of the key incidents occurred around 10:30 AM at Delhi airport, where security forces boarded a newly landed Air India flight to detain CJP leaders Dipke, Ranka, and Das, drawing sharp criticism from Opposition parties.
The CJP has announced plans to hold a second consecutive day of demonstrations on Sunday. Concurrently, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hold a special sitting on Sunday to hear petitions challenging the police action. Opposition parties have also announced fresh protests starting Monday.
