Who is Vikas Sankrityayan aka Vikas Pandey? He filed suit against Dhruv Rathee; Delhi court issues bail bonds | Today’s news
A Delhi court has granted bail to YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in a criminal defamation case filed in 2018 by Vikas Sankrityayan, also known as Vikas Pandey, over allegations made in a video uploaded by the YouTuber, a report said.
Sankrityayan is a social media user and activist known for founding the online group “I Support NaMo”.
The case centers on a video in which Rathee allegedly alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) IT cell had tried to bribe Sankrtyayan to defame him, according to a Bar and Bench report.
The video posted on Rathee’s social media in May 2018 was also shared by then Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Sankrtyayan subsequently initiated defamation proceedings against both Rathee and Kejriwal.
Why did the Delhi court issue bail to Dhruv Rathee?
Judicial Magistrate Rahul Jain of the Saket court issued the warrant after being informed that an earlier court notice could not be served as Rathee’s residence was found locked, according to the Bar and Bench.
On October 12, the court granted the request for an early hearing and the issuance of a summons for the dasti to be served on their own hands. The complainant’s counsel, advocate Samaksh Sharma, argued that the summons remained unserved for years as Rathee mainly resides abroad, the report said.
However, the court was informed that Rathee was currently in India and staying at a residence in Gurugram, Haryana.
Noting that Rathee was last summoned in 2019, the judge allowed Sankrityayan to accompany the process server to help ensure speedy delivery of the summons.
After being informed that the delivery was still not completed, the court issued a bail order against Rathee and scheduled the next hearing on October 31, according to the report.
Who is Vikas Sankrityayan aka Vikas Pandey?
Sankrtyayan is known for his association with social media group ‘I Support NaMo’ which supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is also active on social media under the handle @MODifiedVikas.
According to his Facebook profile, he is a digital creator and writer from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, who has written on issues including social media abuse and fake news.
His X bio describes him as a software architect associated with IBM India Software Labs and also lists his involvement in online groups like ‘I Support NaMo’ and ‘Hindu IT Cell’.
Read also | Dhruv Rathee calls for a protest in London’s Parliament Square against the CEC
What did Vikas Pandey say about the Dhruv Rathee case?
In a Facebook post, Sankrtyayan described himself as one of the first targets of Rathee’s videos and claimed that the YouTuber had made false claims about him.
“I was one of the first victims of fake news peddler Dhruv Rathee,” he wrote, claiming that Rathee had made three videos about him about eight years ago and that Kejriwal had shared one of them.
Sankrtyayan also said that Kejriwal has since offered an apology, which he has rejected, claiming that Rathee is yet to appear before the court. He welcomed the latest development in the case, saying he believes the law is catching up.
