Court issues summons to YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in a defamation case filed by social media activist Vikas Pandey

Summons has been issued against pro-AAP blogger Dhruv Rathee in a civil and criminal case of defamation. The defamation case was filed against him by social media activist and BJP supporter Vikas Pandey for a fake YouTube video. The video was created by Dhruv Rathee and was subsequently shared by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. A defamation case was filed against Kejriwal as well in October 2018 when he had shared the video. Patiala House Court has issued summons to Arvind Kejriwal a week ago and now Dhruv Rathee has it coming too.

Finally, summons issued to @dhruv_rathee & accomplice in the fake video case in criminal as well as civil defamation case!
Thank you @raghav355 & @ThisIsTheMukesh. You have pursued this cases for more than a year with me. कहते हैं ना, देर है लेकिन अंधेर नही… https://t.co/HyDbfRWhFN

— Vikas Pandey (Sankrityayan) Modi ji’s Family (@MODIfiedVikas) July 23, 2019

✌️Great news coming in!✌️ Dilli ka Malik @ArvindKejriwal has been issued the summon! All thanks to my very talented lawyers @raghav355 and @ThisIsTheMukesh 👍.
Cases against fake video maker @dhruv_rathee are also in progress in separate court. 😊 https://t.co/oPnPiIzHUD

— Vikas Pandey (Sankrityayan) Modi ji’s Family (@MODIfiedVikas) July 17, 2019

Vikas Pandey is a software engineer by profession. He runs a popular social media page, “I Support NaMo”. The page has a huge following and is liked and followed by millions of people on Twitter and Facebook. While Dhruv Rathee is a pro-AAP YouTuber who has been caught spreading fake and misleading news several times. His propaganda is centred on bashing Prime Minister Modi and he seems to be a proxy who has been set up by a certain political party. 

In 2018, Dhruv Rathee had created a defamatory video against Vikas Pandey which was also shared by Arvind Kejriwal. Vikas Pandey had filed a defamation case against Kejriwal as well as Dhruv Rathee.

Friends, I have initiated Civil defamation suite against Mr. @dhruv_rathee. Hon. Court has taken cognisance of my suite. He had made false claims against me in a popular video saying I offered bribes of huge amount to someone without ANY proof. Read:https://t.co/9m7f0n1ujz [1/3]

— Vikas Pandey (Sankrityayan) Modi ji’s Family (@MODIfiedVikas) October 1, 2018

In 2018, in a YouTube video, Mahavir Prasad and Dhruv Rathee tried spreading fake and misleading information about the BJP IT cell. It was claimed that Vikas Pandey is a member of the BJP IT cell and Mahavir Prasad claimed to be an ex BJP IT cell member. Thereafter, in a follow-up video, it has been alleged that Vikas Pandey had offered a bribe of Rs. 50 lakhs to Mahavir Prasad in order to defame Dhruv Rathee. Dhruv Rathee also claimed that he asked Mahavir Prasad to download an app in order to record calls. The basis of all his allegations is the ‘recording’. However, in a follow-up, Rathee regretted that he does not have the recording of the ‘Rs. 50 lakh bribe offer’. It is astonishing that the YouTuber went on to make such allegations even though he has no proof to back his claims.

Dhruv Rathee also alleged that Abhishek Mishra (a staunch social media Congress supporter) was used by Vikas Pandey in order to offer a bribe to Mahavir Prasad. However, in the call recording between Abhishek Mishra and Mahavir Prasad, there is nothing to suggest that Vikas Pandey made a bribe offer to the pro-AAP YouTuber. Dhruv Rathee admits in the video that he does not have sufficient evidence to back his allegations. He also claimed that he has been trying to find audio recording of the bribe offer for the last two months but could not find it. It is shocking that Rathee went on to make such sweeping allegations without an iota of evidence to prove the same.

Dhruv Rathee made yet another objectionable comment by asking Abhishek Mishra to confess and tell the truth about ‘Vikas Pandey and the BJP IT cell’ and also tell that they were out to destroy the nation. This was a direct attempt to tarnish the image of Vikas Pandey without any evidence whatsoever. The sensational title of the video as well as the misleading and unproved claims made therein go on to suggest that this was a naive attempt by Rathee to garner views and likes which has now landed him in deep trouble.

Vikas Pandey took a brave decision to openly challenge social media fraudsters like Dhruv Rathee and Mahavir Prasad. The order by Patiala House Court has vindicated his stand. Arvind Kejriwal might have to apologize once again very soon in order to save face.