YSRCP leader arrested from Bengaluru after SC denies interim relief

Tirupati: A day after the Supreme Court declined to interfere with the Andhra Pradesh high court order that set aside the remand rejection order of Kuppam trial court in a social media abuse case, police apprehended YSRCP general secretary Pudi Srihari in Bengaluru on Wednesday. This is the second time within a fortnight that Srihari, who was the chief public relations officer of former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, has been taken into custody by Kuppam police in connection with the case.He was first arrested near Tadepalli on April 15 in connection with derogatory social media posts designed and circulated on chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu. Kuppam-based Vinod Kumar Murthy lodged a police complaint against the objectionable and provocative content, which was circulated on social media platforms linked to the YSRCP. Based on the complaint, Kuppam police registered a case under various sections of BNS Act and IT Act and took him into custody. However, the trial court at Kuppam turned down the remand plea filed by Kuppam police, following which they moved the high court, which suspended the orders. After the Supreme Court turned down Srihari's plea and refused to intervene in the matter on Tuesday, Kuppam police arrested him from Bengaluru and shifted him to Kuppam on Wednesday.Srihari's brother Pudi Rahul alleged that his brother was taken into custody by Kuppam police even though the matter is pending before the Andhra Pradesh high court.