YouTuber Dhruv Rathee on Sunday alleged that around 20 people in plain clothes took him from his Gurugram residence and moved him between police stations for about 22-23 hours ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi.
In a video posted on X, Rathee said the men entered his house around 7 am on Saturday while he was sleeping and took him away before he could ask who they were.
The YouTuber claimed he was not allowed to contact his lawyer or access a phone and sustained injuries while being taken out of his bedroom. "I was not detained, I was kidnapped," he said, questioning the manner in which he was taken from his residence.
Rathee also displayed his passport to assert that he was an Indian citizen and rejected claims that he had not intended to participate in the protest.
He described the restrictions imposed ahead of the demonstration as an "unofficial emergency", adding that he would continue to raise his voice on issues concerning the country.
The YouTuber further claimed that people were monitoring his movements and that he was unable to leave his house.
Rathee was detained at his residence in Gurugram's Sector 56 on Saturday ahead of the CJP's proposed protest at Jantar Mantar. He was released late on Saturday night, a police official said on Sunday.
"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 source said.
Rathee's detention came amid an unprecedented security clampdown in Delhi, where more than 7,000 protesters were detained at multiple locations, police sources said.
The demonstration was called to demand Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Several opposition leaders, including former chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Pinarayi Vijayan and Manik Sarkar, were also detained while attempting to join the protest.
CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das have also release been released after being placed under preventive arrest.
Police are likely to register multiple FIRs in connection with the alleged assaults on personnel during the protest, a senior officer said.
(With inputs from PTI)
