VIJAYAWADA: Krishna district police on Wednesday arrested a 34-year-old youngster for allegedly posting objectionable remarks against Chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, sharing unverified news causing damage to the State government and inciting enmity between parties and communities.
The issue came to light on Thursday with the parents of the accused Ponduru Kotiratnam Anjan Chowdary demanding an explanation for the arrest of their son and Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders wrote letters to DGP Kasireddy Rajendranath Reddy seeking his immediate release.
Speaking to TNIE, Krishna district Superintendent of Police (SP) Palle Jashuva said the accused, a resident of Ramanagar in Gannavaram worked with a software company in the US, returned to India in 2015 and began working along with the social media wing of Telugu Desam Party and floated various companies on his name.
Based on a specific complaint against the accused, Gannavaram police inspector P Kanaka Rao claimed that he created accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and uploaded many objectionable posts against CM Jagan Mohan Reddy, promoting hate speech and unverified news on several political leaders.
“Acting on the complaint, a team of Gannavaram police took him into custody on Wednesday morning and seized his mobile phones and laptop. Upon inspection, we were shocked to see hundreds of objectionable videos on his phone and laptop,” said SP Jashuva.
He further said that his father Sambasiva Rao is a retired APSRTC conductor and his mother Ratnakumari is a retired government school teacher. “His prime intention is to attract youth through his controversial social media posts. He even floated a company named TDP Empowerment Centre and cheated unemployed youth by luring them with job promises,” the SP added.
He further informed that a cyberbully sheet will be opened against him and his movements will be monitored.
Meanwhile, responding to the incident, Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu took to Twitter and demanded that DGP Rajendranath Reddy to release the accused. Naidu expressed his anger at the State police for not informing the whereabouts of Anjan to his family members and called it a violation of the rules.
“The police who took Anjan yesterday into custody for posting posts against Chief Minister Jagan must release him immediately. The DGP should take action against the wrong officials,” Naidu tweeted.