Police in Andhra Pradesh's Kadapa district have made a series of arrests in two separate cases involving the creation and circulation of derogatory content targeting prominent political personalities and their families. The crackdown led to the detention of a man who had fled to Kuwait and the arrest of eleven others for using morphed images.
Arrest After International Flight and Lookout Circular
The Chinna Chowk police in Tirupati registered a case on November 3, 2024 based on a complaint filed by TDP leader Bojja Tirumalesh. The case was against Bathalapalli Srinivas Reddy (42), a resident of Badvel town in Kadapa district, for making derogatory video posts against political figures and their family members.
Before authorities could apprehend him, Srinivas Reddy managed to flee the country to Kuwait. From there, he allegedly continued his social media activity, posting content in favour of a particular political party and against legislators, especially women, from the ruling dispensation.
In response, the police issued a lookout circular and alerted immigration authorities. Their vigilance paid off when Srinivas Reddy landed at Hyderabad airport from Kuwait on Monday. He was immediately detained by security staff. Following instructions from Kadapa SP Shelke Nachiket Vishwanath, a police team led by Kadapa DSP Rajendra Prasad took him into custody at the airport and brought him to Kadapa.
After seizing his passport, the police produced him before a court, which remanded him in judicial custody.
Eleven More Arrested for Morphed Images of Kadapa MLA
In a related but separate case, police have arrested eleven other individuals for creating and forwarding offensive posts using morphed images of Kadapa MLA Reddeppagari Madhavi Reddy. This case was registered earlier, in September of this year, based on a complaint by the MLA's spouse and TDP politburo member, R Srinivasa Reddy.
The accused have been identified as:
- Nelavala Srinivasa Reddy (44) of Kurnool
- Gurramkonda Shaik Noor Basha (47) of Proddatur
- Palem Pratap Reddy (44) of Aravidu
- Shaik Nizamuddin (30) of Kadapa
- L Ramakrishna Reddy (34) of Peddamudiam
- Shaik Mohammad Riaz (51) of Kadapa
- Syed Imran Basha (32) of Rayachoti
- T Potti Venkataramana (42) of Ramapuram
- Syed Ismail Basha (50) of Kadapa
- Shaik Jabiullah (30) of Kadapa
- Shaik Mudassar (25) of Kadapa
Crackdown on Online Abuse and Legal Consequences
These coordinated police actions highlight a growing crackdown on the use of social media for personal attacks, character assassination, and spreading hate speech against public representatives in Andhra Pradesh. The cases demonstrate the legal reach of authorities, even when accused individuals attempt to evade justice by going abroad.
The use of morphed images, particularly targeting women legislators, adds a serious dimension to the charges. The arrests send a strong message about the potential consequences of such online behaviour, which can lead to serious charges under Indian cyber laws and result in arrest and judicial custody.
