The Central Bureau of Investigation probing the derogatory posts on social media against judges and judiciary in Andhra Pradesh allegedly by certain social media activists of YSR Congress party, announced removal of all such posts.
According to CBI spokesperson R C Joshi, the agency which took over the probe on the directions of the state high court in November last year, got the objectionable posts removed from the social media, public domains. A number of such posts/accounts were removed from internet, he said.
The CBI booked the cases against as many as 16 social media activists of YSRC under sections 153a, 504, 505(2), 506 of Indian Penal Code and Section 67 of Information Technology Act.
On Thursday, the CBI filed a charge sheet in its probe into alleged derogatory posts on social media against judiciary, naming only one such YSRC activist Lingareddy Rajasekhar Reddy, who was arrested on July 9 on his arrival from Kuwait.
The high court registry lodged a complaint with the CBI stating that several key personnel occupying posts of prominence in the State of Andhra Pradesh by intentionally targeting the Judiciary, made derogatory posts on social media platform against Judges and Judiciary following some Court verdicts delivered by the judges of state high court against the Jagan Mohan Reddy government.
“During the course of investigation, Rajasekhar Reddy was arrested on July 9 at Kadapa and presently he is in judicial custody. Searches were also conducted at the residential premises of the accused at Cuddapah which led to recovery of incriminating documents,” Joshi added.
After registration of the case, the CBI traced 13 of the 16 accused named in the FIR on various digital platforms. Two accused are based in the US while another person is also abroad somewhere.
Apart from Lingareedy Rajasekhar Reddy, two others Dhanireddy Konda Reddy and Pamula Sudhir were produced before the fourth additional junior civil judge, Guntur and were remanded to judicial custody.
The CBI also questioned Gurrampati Devender Reddy, social media in-charge of YSRC and digital director of Andhra Pradesh government last week, but he could get away with the help of a lawyer, as he is in the government.