Uttar Pradesh Police on Friday refuted social media claims that Germany-based YouTuber Dhruv Rathee had been arrested by Noida Police, describing the reports as “completely false, misleading and baseless”.कतिपय सोशल मीडिया हैंडल्स द्वारा “नोएडा पुलिस द्वारा ध्रुव राठी को गिरफ्तार किए जाने” संबंधी सूचना/पोस्ट प्रसारित की जा रही है।उक्त सूचना पूर्णतः असत्य, भ्रामक व निराधार है। नोएडा पुलिस द्वारा ध्रुव राठी की कोई गिरफ्तारी नहीं की गई है।जनसामान्य से अपील है कि ऐसे भ्रामक एवं अपुष्ट संदेशों का प्रसार न करें तथा किसी भी सूचना को साझा करने से पूर्व उसकी सत्यता की पुष्टि अवश्य कर लें।भ्रामक, असत्य अथवा अफवाह फैलाने वाली सामग्री का प्रसार करने वाले व्यक्तियों के विरुद्ध प्रचलित विधिक प्रावधानों के अंतर्गत नियमानुसार कठोर वैधानिक कार्रवाई की जाएगी।— POLICE COMMISSIONERATE GAUTAM BUDDH NAGAR (@noidapolice) October 16, 2026Several users on X (formerly Twitter) had been circulating posts since Friday morning claiming that Rathee had been taken into custody. Some users also shared a video to support the claims.In a clarification posted on X, the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police Commissionerate said, “Dhruv Rathee has not been arrested by Noida Police.”The police urged the public not to circulate unverified information and asked social media users to check the authenticity of claims before sharing them online.“The general public is appealed not to disseminate such misleading and unverified messages, and to always verify the authenticity of any information before sharing it,” the police said.Warning of strict action, it added, “Strict legal action will be taken as per prevailing legal provisions against individuals disseminating misleading, false, or rumor-mongering content.”Dhruv Rathee’s earlier detentionThe rumours surfaced days after Rathee was detained by Gurugram Police from his residence in Sector 56, Haryana, amid a planned protest against alleged irregularities in electoral rolls at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.The 32-year-old YouTuber was detained as prohibitory orders were in force at the protest site, a police officer said.Rathee had was kept under watch at a Gurugram Crime Branch office before being handed over to his family around 3 am.“Yes, he has been set free. His family members arrived to receive him at a crime branch office where he was kept detained,” a senior police officer was quoted as saying.The officer said Rathee was released after discussions with Delhi Police and an assurance that he would not join a group or mob that could create law and order problems at a location where prohibitory orders were in force.