Court summons YouTuber Dhruv Rathee over defamation
New Delhi, July 24
A Delhi court on Wednesday issued summons to YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in a defamation suit filed by BJP Mumbai spokesperson Suresh Karamshi Nakhua.
Nakhua alleged that Rathee referred to him as a part of “violent and abusive trolls” in a YouTube video titled ‘My Reply to Godi Youtubers | Elvish Yadav’.
The defamation suit also involves Google LLC and X Corp, seeking Rs 20 lakh in damages for defamation caused to him on cyber space.
District Judge Gunjan Gupta of Saket Courts issued the summons, instructing that it be served to the defendants by all modes, including electronic means by August 6.
According to the suit, Rathee had allegedly claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hosted “violent and abusive trolls like Ankit Jain, Suresh Nakhua, and Tajinder Bagga” at his official residence. The video garnered over 24 million views and more than 2.3 million likes.
Nakhua argued that Rathee’s statements have severely damaged his reputation, leading to widespread condemnation and ridicule, thus causing irreparable harm to his personal and professional life.
The suit also claimed that Rathee engages in habitual defamation, giving online threats and deteriorating fellow YouTuber’s careers. Rathee has 23.3 million subscribers on YouTube and over 2.6 million followers on X.
