Hyderabad: On Thursday, the Nampally Court in Telangana sent controversial YouTuber Praneeth Hanumanthu to 14 days of judicial custody, transferring him to Chanchalguda jail. Hanumanthu recently sparked controversy with comments made during an online podcast about a video featuring a father and daughter. Tollywood actor Sai Dharma Tej flagged these comments on X (formerly Twitter), tagging Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and senior police officials. The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) took the issue seriously and registered an FIR against Hanumanthu and four others involved in the online event.
TGCSB officials launched a search for Hanumanthu and eventually apprehended him in Bengaluru. On Wednesday, he was arrested and brought to Telangana, where he was produced before the Nampally Court on Thursday. Hanumanthu faces charges under Section 67B of the IT Act (Information Technology Act), the POCSO Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act), Section 79 of the IT Act, and Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
During the online event, which was presented as dark comedy, Hanumanthu made controversial and vulgar comments about a father and his minor daughter. His remarks led to severe backlash from netizens, who demanded action against him. Additionally, some actors who had previously cast him in their movie projects issued public apologies for their association with him.