YouTuber Praneeth Hanumantu arrested in Bengaluru over ‘inappropriate’ remarks against child

On Wednesday, a 29-year-old YouTuber was arrested in Bengaluru in connection with an FIR lodged against him for allegedly making "inappropriate" remarks about a child, according to the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau, news agency PTI reported.

Praneeth Hanumantu, originally from Andhra Pradesh and currently residing in Begumpet, was identified as the main suspect in the FIR filed on July 7 at the Cyber Crime police station in the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau, as stated in a release accessed by the agency.

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The release noted that Hanumantu had been evading authorities since the issue came to light. The case centres around a group of individuals who were involved in "vulgar" and "obscene" discussions about a father-daughter relationship during a YouTube podcast, the release stated.

Hanumantu is being brought before a local magistrate in Bengaluru to obtain a transit warrant for his transfer to Hyderabad. Authorities are also working to apprehend the remaining suspects involved in the case, the report said.

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The FIR was initiated on July 7 after Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka vowed strict consequences for those found guilty of abusing children on social media, which was highlighted by Telugu actor Sai Dharam Tej.

Tej had earlier taken to social media to express, “Monsters like these go unnoticed on the very much utilised social platform doing child abuse in the disguise of so-called Fun & Dank. Child Safety is the need of the hour.”

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The actor had tagged the chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in a plea for action against such disturbing content on social media. In response, Revanth Reddy and Bhatti Vikramarka expressed their gratitude to Tej for bringing the matter to their attention and reaffirmed their commitment to ensure child safety as a top priority for the Telangana government.

(With PTI inputs)