Defamation Suit Against Dhruv Rathee: Delhi Court Fines BJP Leader Suresh Nakhua ₹5,000 for Adjournment Request
Pranav B Prem
A Delhi District Court has imposed a cost of ₹5,000 on BJP Mumbai spokesperson Suresh Karamshi Nakhua after his newly-appointed counsel sought an adjournment to file the Vakalatnama in his defamation suit against YouTuber Dhruv Rathee. The order was passed on December 4, 2025 by District Judge–South East Pritam Singh. The defamation suit arises from Rathee’s YouTube video titled “My Reply to Godi Youtubers | Elvish Yadav”, in which Rathee had allegedly referred to Nakhua as part of “violent and abusive trolls.” Nakhua has sought ₹20 lakh in damages, alleging “defamation caused to him on cyber space.” Summons in the suit were first issued in July 2024.
During the hearing, advocate Jagdish Trivedi, appearing for Nakhua, submitted that he had been recently engaged and required time to file the Vakalatnama and inspect the court file. In response, senior advocate Satvik Varma, appearing for Rathee, pointed out that no one had appeared for the plaintiff on the last date and that the plaintiff’s previous counsel had formally withdrawn from the matter by an email dated November 3, 2025. He further submitted that the counsel appearing via video conference had not yet filed his Vakalatnama, and therefore the suit ought to be dismissed for non-prosecution.
After hearing both sides, the Court observed, “Heard. Record perused. One last and final opportunity is granted to plaintiff subject to cost of Rs.5,000/- to be paid to defendant.” The Court also issued a fresh notice to the concerned notary public Suman Sharma through all electronic modes, directing the plaintiff to take necessary steps within one week. The case next stands listed on March 11, 2026, for arguments on Rathee’s application under Order VII Rule 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) seeking rejection of the plaint.
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Earlier, during the hearing on August 1, Rathee’s counsel had questioned the authenticity of the certificate filed under Section 63 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) concerning electronic records, pointing out that the certificate was dated January 26, 2025, a national holiday, and that the accompanying affidavit bore a notary stamp without a date. It had been argued that several such defects had been noted during the pendency of the suit, and a request was made to summon the notary.
Nakhua’s plaint alleges that Rathee’s statements in the video caused severe reputational harm, asserting that Rathee had claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted “violent and abusive trolls like Ankit Jain, Suresh Nakhua, and Tajinder Bagga” at his official residence. The suit states that the video gathered over 24 million views and 2.3 million likes, resulting in widespread criticism and ridicule of Nakhua, allegedly damaging both his personal and professional life. It also claims that “the Defendant No.1 is also engaged in committing habitual defamation, giving online threats, deteriorating fellow YouTuber's career etc. by using his audience which runs in over 23.3 million subscribers on YouTube and over 2.6 million followers on X platform.” The suit seeks to restrain Rathee from posting, tweeting or creating content on YouTube or X concerning Nakhua.
Cause Title: Suresh Karamshi Nakhua Vs. Dhruv Rathee & Ors.
Case No: CS DJ/578/2024
Coram: Pritam Singh (District Judge)
