YouTuber Raavan arrested for 5th time in 6 days over remarks against Pawan Kalyan
YouTuber Raavan was arrested for the fifth time by the Andhra Pradesh Police on Saturday, extending a series of successive arrests that began on June 30 over multiple cases linked to his alleged remarks against Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan.
According to police, Raavan had just secured bail in the latest case registered against him by the Payakaraopeta Police when he was intercepted at the Vempadu toll gate and taken into custody once again. This time, he was booked under Sections 13 (punishment for unlawful activities) and 39 (offence relating to support given to a terrorist organisation) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The latest arrest follows a pattern that has seen Raavan repeatedly granted bail in one case only to be re-arrested in another.
The sequence began with his arrest by the Pithapuram Police. After obtaining station bail from a magistrate, he was immediately taken into custody by the Sarpavaram Police. Upon securing bail in that case, he was arrested again by the Inaguduru Police, followed by another arrest by the Payakaraopeta Police after his release.
YSRCP QUESTIONS GOVT STANCE
The repeated arrests have sparked a political controversy in Andhra Pradesh, with the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) accusing the ruling coalition government of targeting the YouTuber.
In a series of social media posts, the YSRCP questioned the government’s actions and accused Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan of focusing on Raavan while neglecting other issues. Referring to the Sugali Preethi case, the party alleged that if the same level of attention had been devoted to securing justice in that case, the accused would have been punished.
The YSRCP further claimed that the case had been used for political purposes before the change in government and alleged that the accused were now moving freely due to the coalition government’s inaction. The party also cited remarks attributed to Sugali Preethi’s mother, who allegedly expressed disappointment with Pawan Kalyan over the handling of the case.
