NEW DELHI, Oct. 10, 2026: YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was detained by police at his residence in Gurugram’s Sector 56 on Saturday morning ahead of the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) planned protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

According to a PTI report published by ThePrint, three Crime Branch teams detained Rathee at around 6 a.m. He was taken to a Crime Branch office for questioning for approximately an hour before a convoy carrying him headed toward Delhi. 

Rathee had announced his participation in the proposed demonstration through a video posted on X on Friday evening. He had returned to India from Germany earlier in the week and participated in a CJP protest in Bengaluru on October 8.

The CJP called for the protest to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Delhi Police had denied permission for the proposed demonstration, citing security concerns and procedural requirements. 

The reported detention prompted a response from the CJP, which demanded Rathee’s immediate and unconditional release along with that of other detained protesters and activists. Police also detained several other people as security measures intensified ahead of the demonstration. 

The incident comes amid heightened tensions over the planned protest and allegations concerning the electoral roll revision process. The allegations against the election authorities remain contested.