The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday directed the Nallapadu police in Guntur city to adhere to the provisions of Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in the case registered against YSRCP social media general Pudi Srihari. The case pertains to alleged objectionable social media posts featuring morphed images of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
High Court Issues Notices in Kothapet Case
In a separate case registered by the Kothapet police, the high court issued notices to the complainant, as Srihari had already been produced before the magistrate.
Petitions to Quash Cases
Srihari had filed two petitions seeking to quash the cases registered against him at the Kothapet and Nallapadu police stations. Senior counsel Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy, arguing on behalf of Srihari, stated that the Kuppam police had already arrested Srihari on the same charges and produced him before the magistrate. The magistrate rejected the remand and directed the police to issue notices under Section 35(3).
Sudhakar Reddy further argued that registering multiple FIRs for the same offence is illegal and violates Supreme Court directives. Since the alleged offences are punishable with imprisonment of less than seven years, he sought directions for the police to issue notices. He affirmed that Srihari is willing to cooperate with the investigation and will appear before the investigating officer whenever required, subject to conditions imposed by the high court.
Police Arguments
Public prosecutor Menda Lakshmi Narayana, representing the police, contended that the petitioner was arrested due to his lack of cooperation with the investigation. He claimed that Srihari was not available at his residences in Tadepalli and Anakapalli when police attempted to serve notices.
Court's Order
After considering both sides, Justice Y Lakshmana Rao directed the police to comply with Section 35(3) of BNSS in the Nallapadu case. In the Kothapet case, the court issued notices to the complainant, as Srihari had already been produced before the magistrate. The next hearing is scheduled for May 5.
