Comedian Anudeep Arrested By Andhra Police In UP Over Joke On Dy CM Pawan Kalyan

Prayagraj: Hyderabad-based stand-up comedian Anudeep Katikala was on Tuesday arrested by Andhra Pradesh Police in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, where he had been visiting his family, according to The News Minute.

The comedian has been on the receiving end of abuse and threats of physical violence from fans of Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan over a recently posted video of his stand-up act on Tollywood stars and fandom culture.

The arrest comes three days after a First Information Report (FIR) was filed against Katikala at the Kakinada Police Station.

Reportedly, two police officers from Kakinada district traced Anudeep’s phone to a park in Prayagraj at around 7 pm on April 14, while he was with his father. The comedian was booked by the Kakinada I Town Police after a complaint by Jana Sena Party East Godavari Joint Secretary Bade Venkata Krishna.

What Did Anudeep Say?

In the video, the comedian called Ram Charan a “feminist” for not being insecure about his wife, Upasana, who is wealthier than him. Joking about Pawan Kalyan, he said, He also joked that people should learn from Pawan Kalyan when it comes to divorce, as none of his ex-wives had accused him of abuse.

Charges Against Anudeep

Anudeep has been charged under Sections 356(2) (defamation), 353(2) (making statements containing false information, rumour or alarming news with intent to promote enmity between different groups), and 79 (insulting the modesty of a woman) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as well as Section 67 (publishing obscene material in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act.

Action was taken against the 30-year-old despite his public apology.