The court had first summoned Rathee in July 2019. However, the summons reportedly remained unserved for years, with the complainant’s lawyer stating that Rathee lived abroad. The court was subsequently told that he was in India and staying at an address in Gurugram.
According to reports, a process server found Rathee’s Gurugram residence locked while attempting to serve the summons. The court subsequently issued bailable warrants against him. The matter has been listed for 31 October.
Rathee said in a video posted on X that he had arrived in London and called on people to join a demonstration against alleged electoral fraud in India. The protest was announced for Sunday, 18 October, outside the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square.
The case also names Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, who had retweeted Rathee’s video. The Supreme Court stayed proceedings against Kejriwal in February 2024 after his lawyer acknowledged that retweeting the video had been a mistake. The proceedings against Rathee continued.