CBI arrests 6 more for derogatory posts against judges in Andhra

Amaravati, Oct 22:  The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday announced that it has arrested six more accused in a case related to making derogatory posts on social media against judges and the judiciary.

The arrested are Sridhar Reddy Avuthu, Jalagam Venkata Satyanarayana, Guda Sridhar Reddy, Sreenath Suswaram, Kishore Kumar Darisa alias Kishore Reddy Darisa, and Sudduluri Ajay Amruth.

The accused will be produced before the competent court, the central agency said.

The arrests were made in a case in which the probe was launched by the CBI in November last year on the orders of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

With this the number of arrested has gone up to 11 in the case which was filed on November 11, 2020 against 16 accused.

On the orders of the High Court, the CBI had taken over the investigation of 12 FIRs from the Andhra Pradesh CID. The case was registered under sections 153 (A), 504, 505 (2) and 506 of IPC and Section 67 of IT Act, 2000.

The original FIRs were registered on the complaints from the Registrar General of the High Court. It was alleged that the key personnel occupying posts of prominence in the state of Andhra Pradesh by intentionally targeting the judiciary, made derogatory posts on social media platforms against judges and judiciary following some court verdicts delivered by the judges of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

Action was also initiated by the CBI to get objectionable posts removed from the social media platforms and public domain.

The CBI had earlier arrested five accused and also filed five separate charge sheets against them. Investigation is continuing including through the channels of Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) and Interpol to collect evidence from abroad, the agency said.

After registration of the case, the CBI had traced 13 of the 16 accused named in the FIR. Three out of them were found to be abroad.

In August, the agency had said that it examined 11 out of the 13 accused and arrested five of them.

The first arrest in the case was made by the CBI on July 9. Lingareddy Rajasekhar Reddy, who was earlier working abroad, was secured and examined.

On July 28, the CBI arrested two accused while two more accused were arrested on August 8.