AP: ‘Bigg Boss’ participant Nutan Naidu arrested

VISAKHAPATNAM: Visakhapatnam city police

arrested

‘Bigg Boss’ participant and

film director Nutan Naidu

at Udupi in connection with tonsuring of a 20-year-old Dalit youth, Parri Srikanth. Naidu was taken into custody at Udipi railway station with the help of Karnataka police. The police recovered four mobile phones from Naidu. Naidu tried to throw one of the mobile phones when the police surrounded him at Udipi.

The police said that Naidu will be brought back to Vizag.Naidu is also charged with impersonating retired IAS officer PV Ramesh, and for his alleged role to protect his wife N Priya Madhuri in the case.

On August 29, seven persons, including Madhuri, were arrested on the charges of assaulting and tonsuring Srikanth on August 28 at Naidu’s house. Manish Kumar Sinha, city police chief, said that Naidu twice made video calls to his Madhuri from Hyderabad on August 28 (the day of tonsuring) and used caste slurs against Srikanth.

On August 29, impersonating as Ramesh, a person made phone calls to medical officers Dr Sujatha, Dr Vasudev and PV Sudhakar, principal, Andhra Medical College and superintendent (in-charge) of KG Hospital, and sought medical certificates for six of the seven arrested in the

tonsure case

. He also asked them to refer Priya Madhuri to hospital, citing health issues.

Sudhakar then called Ramesh and came to know that someone was impersonating the latter. Sudhakar then informed Manish Kumar Sinha about the phone call. Sinha said the imposter used to set his name in True Caller mobile application as chief secretary, Andhra Pradesh chief minister’s office. The phone calls to medical officers raised doubts about Naidu’s role. The police said Naidu left Hyderabad for Bengaluru and, later, for Mangalore.

The police said Naidu posed as Ramesh and made phone calls to medical officers as the phone number used matched with the seized mobile phones from Naidu. Sinha said that the preliminary investigation revealed that Naidu had pretended as Ramesh and cheated people.