Dhruv Rathee, others summoned by Delhi Court in Mumbai BJP leader's defamation case

The Saket Court in Delhi has summoned YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and others in response to a defamation suit filed by Suresh Karamshi Nakhua, a spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Mumbai unit. On July 19, 2024, District Judge Gunjan Gupta issued the summons and a notice under Order 39, Rule 1 and 2 of the Civil Procedure Code (CPC). Rathee and relevant social media intermediaries are required to appear on August 6, 2024. Advocates Raghav Awasthi and Mukesh Sharma are representing Nakhua in this matter.

The defamation complaint centers around a video Rathee posted on July 7, 2024, titled "My Reply to Godi Youtubers | Elvish Yadav | Dhruv Rathee." According to the lawsuit, the video has amassed over 24 million views and more than 2.3 million likes. Nakhua claims that Rathee’s video inaccurately labeled him as a “violent and abusive troll.” The video also allegedly suggested that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hosted Nakhua and others described as violent trolls at his official residence.

Nakhua contends that the video was highly provocative and incendiary, leading to significant damage to his reputation. He argues that the video’s false assertions have resulted in widespread condemnation and ridicule, severely affecting his personal and professional life. Nakhua is seeking Rs 20 lakhs in damages for the defamation caused.


According to the lawsuit, the defamatory nature of the video has led to significant damage to Nakhua's personal and professional reputation. The suit argues that the video’s widespread circulation has caused Nakhua to face condemnation and ridicule, leading to irreparable harm. Nakhua is seeking Rs 20 lakhs in damages for the defamation caused by the video.

The defamation lawsuit follows another recent legal challenge for Rathee. Maharashtra's nodal cyber police have registered a case against him for a post on his parody account on X (formerly Twitter). The post, which falsely claimed that Anjali Birla, daughter of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, had cleared the UPSC examination without taking the test, has been criticized for spreading misinformation.