HYDERABAD: The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) apprehended YouTuber Praneeth Hanumanthu in Bengaluru on Wednesday, three days after he was charged for participating in an obscene conversation regarding a relationship between a man and a daughter in a YouTube video.
Following his arrest, TGCSB officials presented him before a local magistrate in Bengaluru before obtaining a transit warrant to bring him to Hyderabad.
Hanumanthu, a native of Andhra Pradesh and reportedly the son of a senior IAS officer, was moderating a podcast with three other individuals. Under the guise of comedy, he made insensitive remarks about a young girl.
“Praneeth has been absconding since the matter surfaced,” said TGCSB Director Shika Goel. She added, “Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining accused.”
Public Outcry and Legal Action
The problematic content from the video began circulating widely on social media, prompting many internet users, including actor Sai Dharam Teja, to flag the video for its offensive nature. Subsequently, the Telangana police filed a case against all four individuals involved, citing relevant sections of the IT Act, BNS, and POCSO Act.
The video sparked significant online outrage, leading Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and former DGP Ravi Gupta to reassure the public via social media that child safety is a top priority for both the police and the government.
“We are committed to protecting all citizens, especially children. Offenders misusing social media for humor will face justice, and our team is diligently identifying them,” Gupta had previously posted on X.