Punjab police arrest Delhi-based YouTuber Rachit Kaushik for inciting hate

An FIR against unknown people was registered on January 17 on the complaint of Alisha Masih, a pastor at the “Temple of God” church in Peeru Banda area of Ludhiana. He said in his complaint that a video hurting religious sentiments of Christian community and insults hurled at Christian women and nuns was uploaded from a handle named “No conversion” on X.

Masih said, “The videos also had baseless allegations on conversions. The man was also using wrong words against Jesus Christ. We keep flagging such videos to our local police station from time to time. I have no connection with any political party or organisation and I am not even aware who the arrested individual is.”

CP Chahal said that investigation revealed that the account on X was being run by Kaushik where he put many such videos instigating one community against the other. “He is also running many such other handles on YouTube and Instagram where he gives hate speech and tries to instigate communities against each other. In many of the other handles, he doesn’t even use his own name and promotes enmity,” Chahal said, adding that Kaushik was arrested after the local court issued a non-bailable warrant against him. “A team was sent to Uttar Pradesh and he was arrested after informing the local police station,” he said.

The FIR was registered under Sections 295-A, 153-A, 153, 504 of IPC and 67 Information Technology Act at Salem Tabri police station. Kaushik was produced in the court of judicial magistrate Varundeep Chopra and was sent to a two-day police remand.

Meanwhile, hours after his arrest, Kaushik, in his latest post on his Instagram handle – sabloktantra – claimed that he was a “bold voice of Hindutva, famous journalist, political analyst” and has been “picked up under a political conspiracy” by Punjab Police from Muzaffarnagar after he “presented some facts on his channels regarding Arvind Kejriwal, his family and the Punjab government.” He also urged the Supreme Court and Yogi Adiyanath-led Uttar Pradesh government to take notice of the matter.

Supporters of Kaushik, who calls himself ‘Sab Loktantra ka Baba’, have been running the hashtag “Justice for Baba” and “Rachit Kaushik kidnapped” since his arrest. However, clarifying that he has not been kidnapped, Muzaffarnagar police in a statement on X said, “He was not kidnapped but arrested by Ludhiana Police after due court warrants as serious charges and a non-bailable warrant was issued against him.”