Amaravati, Dec 2 2024-
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma received some relief in the cases booked against him for alleged derogatory social media posts against Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan as Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday barred police from taking any drastic action against him till December 9.
The court passed the interim orders on a quash petition filed by the director. The case was posted to December 9 for further hearing.
Meanwhile, Ram Gopal Varma told the media in Hyderabad that he never had any apprehension of arrest. He said he approached the court as five different cases were booked against him in five different districts on the same issue.
RGV, as the filmmaker is popularly known, slammed the media for running speculative stories that he was on the run or 5-6 police teams were looking for him. He claimed that police never came to his office, though he was available in the office.
The director said there was neither an arrest warrant against him nor the police showed any intention to arrest him.
“I never had any apprehension as I understand the law and the facts of the matter are with me,” he said.
RGV said the media was running the stories without even speaking to the police officials concerned. He remarked that the media wants to create entertainment and is not interested in the truth.
He said he approached the court as he suspected a conspiracy against him with five different cases in five districts on a tweet he had made a year ago.
The director said he did not know what he had posted on X a year ago. “I am very active on Twitter. I have tweeted thousands of times and I have no knowledge what I tweeted a year ago,” he said.
RGV maintained that he is protected by freedom of expression but hastened to add that he would abide by whatever the court decides.
Police in Prakasam district had registered a case against RGV on November 11 on a complaint by a local Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader, Ramalingam.
The complainant alleged that RGV made derogatory comments against TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu, his son Nara Lokesh, other family members, and actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan during the promotional activity of his film ‘Vyuham’ late last year.
The filmmaker had posted objectionable comments on social media platforms.
A case under Section 336 (4) and 353 (2) of BNS Act and also under Section 67 of IT Act was booked against RGV at Maddipadu police station.
The police on November 13 had served notice to the filmmaker, directing him to appear before the investigation officer at Maddipadu police station. He, however, had skipped appearance before police and sought time to make himself available for investigation. (Agency)
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