Varra Ravindra Reddy, the YSRCP social media activist who remained elusive for long before being taken into custody by the Kadapa police near Markapuram on Monday, was produced before a magistrate on Tuesday who remanded him to judicial custody for 14 days.
High drama was witnessed when Mr. Ravindra Reddy was produced before the magistrate, as he accused the police of not only high-handed behaviour, but also exerting pressure on him to give a confession statement. The magistrate directed the police to conduct a medical examination before sending him to remand.
It may be recalled that the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Kurnool Range) Koya Praveen had informed the media on Monday that Mr. Ravindra Reddy had confessed that Member of Parliament (Kadapa) Y.S. Avinash Reddy, through his personal assistant B. Raghava Reddy, used to provide content to social media activists to be circulated through various handles and platforms of the YSRCP.
The said defamatory posts included some against APCC president Y.S. Sharmila Reddy, her mother Y.S. Vijayamma and slain MP Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter Suneetha Narreddy. In the wake of the posts, Ms. Sharmila had dubbed the YSRCP’s social media teams as a ‘devil’s factory’ aimed at spewing venom against its detractors.
However, Mr. Ravindra Reddy turning hostile regarding his ‘confession’ has put the police on the backfoot, while handing fresh fodder to the YSRCP leaders to launch an attack against the State government as well as the police department, accusing them of using ‘arm-twisting’ tactics against the Opposition activists.
Meanwhile, the Kadapa police has issued a lookout notice for Sajjala Bhargav Reddy, who heads the YSRCP’s social media wing, and two others.
Social media users cautioned
Superintendent of Police (Kadapa and Annamayya districts) V. Vidhya Sagar Naidu has formed district-level teams headed by an Inspector and comprising tech-savvy police officials to monitor social media platforms for “defamatory content”.
He has appealed to social media users to refrain from posting defamatory content aimed at character assassination, creating a rift between castes and religions, making derogatory comments against political parties or leaders, or portraying women and children in poor light. He said posting fake news would lead to police action.
Published - November 12, 2024 08:08 pm IST
