Viral Videos Claim Dhruv Rathee Whisked Away In Car, Arrested By Noida Cops; Police Call It 'Baseless'

Videos claiming that YouTuber and political commentator Dhruv Rathee was arrested by Noida Police have gone viral on social media, prompting the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police Commissionerate to issue a clarification, dismissing the claims as false and misleading.

Several social media handles shared a video purportedly showing a man being taken away by police personnel and escorted into a police vehicle. The unidentified man is seen covering his face, making it difficult to establish his identity from the video. However, the video was circulated alongside claims that Rathee had been arrested by Noida Police.

Responding to the viral posts, the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police Commissionerate categorically denied arresting Rathee, describing the circulating claims as "completely false, misleading, and baseless."

Noida Police Urges Public Not To Share Unverified Claims

In its clarification, the police said, "Some social media handles are circulating information/posts regarding 'the arrest of Dhruv Rathee by Noida Police.' The said information is completely false, misleading, and baseless. Noida Police has not arrested Dhruv Rathee in any manner."

The police also appealed to the public not to circulate unverified messages and urged social media users to establish the authenticity of information before sharing it.

Warning against the spread of rumours, the department said strict legal action would be taken under the prevailing legal provisions against individuals disseminating misleading, false or rumour-mongering content.

Dhruv Rathee Was Detained In Gurugram On October 10

The latest claims come days after Rathee was detained by police in Gurugram, Haryana, on October 10 ahead of a planned Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

The protest was called over demands for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid allegations of irregularities linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Prohibitory orders were in force at the time, and authorities sought to prevent protesters from reaching the demonstration site.

According to the police version of events, officers asked Rathee not to travel to Delhi. After he allegedly refused to comply, he was taken into custody under Section 172(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). He was subsequently released in the early hours of October 11.

Rathee Calls October 10 Incident A 'Kidnapping'

Following his release, Rathee disputed the police's description of the October 10 incident as an arrest or detention, calling it a "kidnapping" in a video statement.

He alleged that a group of around 20 people, many dressed in plain clothes, entered his residence while he was asleep, dragged him out of his bedroom and took him away. He also claimed that his and his parents' phones were seized and that he was moved between police stations without access to a lawyer or his phone.

Rathee further alleged that he was injured during the incident and that police personnel continued to remain outside his residence after his release, restricting his movement.