The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday refused to grant interim bail or protection to YSR Congress Party general secretary (media affairs) Pudi Srihari, who also served as the chief public relations officer (CPRO) to former chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, in a case involving the alleged morphing of images of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
A bench led by Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra heard the matter and declined to grant relief to Srihari, who had sought protection on procedural and legal grounds, while allowing the investigation to proceed as per existing directions.
The case relates to the alleged circulation of morphed images of the chief minister on social media, which investigators believe were intended to mislead the public and damage his political reputation.
Earlier, Andhra Pradesh Police had approached the Kuppam trial court seeking Srihari’s remand for custodial interrogation. However, the trial court rejected the plea, prompting the police to move the High Court.
The High Court later suspended the lower court’s order and directed Srihari to cooperate with the investigation, effectively reviving the probe.
Challenging this, Srihari approached the Supreme Court seeking anticipatory bail and interim relief, both of which have now been denied.
The refusal of anticipatory bail indicates that the court found no immediate grounds to shield the accused from arrest at this stage, particularly in cases involving digital evidence and alleged intent to manipulate public perception.