After a complaint was filed with the Hyderabad police against websites that have been spreading rumours about actor Prabhas having an affair with YSRCP chief’s sister Sharmila, the Hyderabad police’s cyber crime wing has identified five persons in relation to the case.
Sharmila, sister of YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy, filed a complaint with the Hyderabad Commissioner Anjani Kumar on January 14, 2018 against 15 websites that were alleging that she was having an affair with the Tollywood actor Prabhas.
Speaking to TNM, KCS Raghuveer Das, additional DCP, Cyber Crimes, said that the five persons identified had been running channels and pages on different social media platforms spreading the rumour. They had posted vulgar and obscene content against Sharmila on their YouTube channels as well.
“There are 15 websites (as listed in the complaint) that posted fake news linking actor Prabhas to Sharmila. Some of the websites had used very obscene language. The channels are run from multiple locations from across the country. We will soon serve them notices and strict action will be taken against the owners. We have written to Google for further assistance and are awaiting response from YouTube and Facebook regarding the derogatory videos uploaded,” the officer said.
On whether the persons had any connection with the Telugu Desam Party, as Sharmila had alleged in a press conference last week, Raghuveer said that preliminary investigation has found that money has been the major motive in the crime and a probe is on to find if the five persons have any common connection.
In the press conference last week, Sharmila had accused TDP of spreading fake news ahead in an attempt to malign her image before the upcoming Andhra assembly elections. She added that she had filed a complaint with the Hyderabad police because she didn’t have faith on the Andhra Pradesh police.
“Without any doubt I can tell that Telugu Desam Party is behind this campaign. It is not new for the TDP to spread rumours; earlier they spread rumours that my father Rajasekhar Reddy was a factionist. Many TDP leaders said that I have an affair with him (Prabhas). If the TDP did not have any involvement, why didn’t they condemn it? Why didn’t Chandrababu Naidu stop them?” she asked.
Condemning the alleged mudslinging campaign, she said, “I have never met actor Prabhas in my life; haven’t spoken to him even once. That person and I have no relation. I swear on my children, this is the truth.”