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Bengaluru police have arrested two more individuals for allegedly sending abusive messages and threats to former Congress MP and Kannada actor Divya Spandana, popularly known as Ramya, on social media. The accused, identified as Rajesh CY from Kadur and Bhuvan Gowda HS from Hoskote, were taken into custody on Monday, August 4.
With these arrests, the total number of people apprehended in the case has risen to four, while nine more suspects have been identified by the Central Crime Branch (CCB).
Earlier, the police had arrested Gangadhar and T Obanna in connection with the same case on August 1. A Bengaluru court remanded the two men in judicial custody for 15 days. According to the CCB, Obanna allegedly sent threatening messages to Ramya from Instagram accounts named “Robert Raghava 5D Boss TJ,” while Gangadhar used accounts under the name “Darshan Thoogudeep” to issue similar threats.
The case stems from a wave of online harassment that began after Ramya posted on social media welcoming the Supreme Court’s strong observations against the Karnataka High Court’s decision to grant bail to actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and six others accused in the Renukaswamy murder case. The Supreme Court had remarked that the High Court’s order “basically dictated an acquittal.”
Following her post, which read, “SC is a ray of hope for the common people of India – justice for the family of Renukaswamy,” Ramya faced a barrage of rape and death threats from 43 anonymous social media accounts.
In response to the abuse, Ramya had posted an Instagram story saying, “To all the DBoss fans, Welcome to my Instagram :) Your comments are proof why Renukaswamy’s family needs justice!” She later filed a formal complaint with Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh on July 28, naming 43 social media handles involved in the harassment.
A case has been registered under Sections 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 351(3) (intimidation with intent to cause death or grievous hurt), 352 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace), 75(1)(iv) (sexual criticism), and 79 (outraging the modesty of a woman) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), along with Sections 66(c) and 67 of the Information Technology Act.