RGV to appear before Ongole police in defamation case over morphed AP leaders' photos

Hyderabad: Film director Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) is set to appear at the Ongole Rural Police Station today, Friday, February 7, 2025, for questioning in connection with a defamation case filed by the Maddipadu police.

The case, registered at the Rural Police Station, will be heard today. Police Circle Inspector (CI) Srikanth had previously issued a notice for RGV to appear on February 4, 2025, but the director requested an extension and was granted a new date for February 7.

The case dates back to November 2024, when Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Ramalingam filed a complaint against RGV. The complaint alleged that the director posted morphed images of political figures, including Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and Minister Nara Lokesh, on social media. The complaint also refers to comments made by Varma during promotional activities for his film Vyuham, which were considered derogatory toward the political figures.

Following the complaint, the Ongole Rural Police issued RGV a second notice on November 25, 2024, after initially asking him to appear on November 20. RGV had requested an extension due to his film commitments but did not attend.

Despite widespread speculation about a possible arrest, RGV approached the High Court, granting him relief but instructed him to cooperate with the ongoing investigation. RGV is expected to attend the police station today for questioning.

The case, filed on November 12, 2024, is being investigated under Sections 336(4) and 353(2) of the BNS Act and Section 67 of the Information Technology (IT) Act, which pertains to the dissemination of objectionable content online.