Hyderabad: Kathi Mahesh Arrested For Derogatory Post On Lord Ram

HYDERABAD: Telugu actor-film critic Kathi Mahesh has been arrested on Friday for allegedly making objectionable remarks on Lord Ram on social media.

Mahesh posted the alleged objectionable comments on his social media page on Thursday and several complaints were made online accusing him of hurting sentiments and requesting action against him, a senior police official told a news agency.

The Cyber Crime Wing of the police on its own registered a case under relevant IPC sections. He was produced before the Nampally court on Friday afternoon, as reported by a news portal.

He has been booked under Sections 153 A, 505 1 (b) and 505-2 of the Indian Penal Code. Around five cases have been booked against him, a web portal reported.

He was taken to Osmania General Hospital for COVID-19 tests and then produced before court. He has been awarded 14-day judicial remand, as reported by a leading daily.

Earlier, in 2018, some members of Hindu organisations in their complaint had accused Mahesh, also a filmmaker, of making derogatory statements and offensive comments against Lord Ram and Sita during a debate on a local news channel.

Police had said based on the complaint, a case was registered against Mahesh under various Indian Penal Code sections, including 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings), and he was also questioned on July 2.

He had been taken out of Hyderabad to be dropped at his native place in Chittoor (in Andhra Pradesh), Director General of Police (DGP) M Mahendar Reddy had said.

"...Kathi Mahesh has been externed from Hyderabad city for the next six months under the Telangana Prevention of Anti-Social and Hazardous Activities Act," Reddy had said.

This was in view of the "derogatory" statements made by him on multiple occasions "leading to hurting of sentiments of large sections of people and adversely affecting even tempo of life," the DGP had said.