An actor from the Telugu film industry approached the Central Crime Station (CCS) in Hyderabad on Monday and lodged a complaint naming three YouTube channels, which she alleged aired false and misleading content against her. She also said that the content was a result of a spat between her family and TDP MLA Chintamaneni Prabhakar.
Speaking to reporters after filing the complaint, the actor, Apoorva, said that the content on the YouTube videos suggested that she had allegedly attempted to kill her husband. According to media reports, her husband used to work for the TDP MLA from Denduluru.
The entire incident began when last month, during an interview, Apoorva had said that her entire family were loyalists of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), but she was upset with the Denduluru MLA.
"When Prabhakar was elected also, we had hope. But the way he operates is that he will only help those who are close to him. There are good MLAs in TDP but our own MLA is showing us hell," she said. She also praised YSRCP President Jaganmohan Reddy and Pawan Kalyan.
Following this, several supporters of the legislator allegedly began abusing the actor on social media platforms.
"His (Prabhakar's) supporters have been mentally harassing me. They are raising questions about my character. Who are they to judge me? Am I the first one to make an allegation against him? Every day, he gets caught in some controversy," she told reporters on Monday after filing the complaint.
She requested the police to take strict action against those spearheading the allegations that were made in the video. While the police are yet to register a case, they have sought legal advice.
Just earlier this week, the TDP MLA was in the news when he abandoned his car at the Kaza highway toll plaza near Guntur, reportedly following a heated exchange with the toll collection staff.
The TDP MLA and his family were travelling in a car towards Vijayawada when the staff at the Kaza toll plaza asked him for the fee, which every vehicle is ordinarily required to pay. Lawmakers like MLAs, MLCs and MPs along with other dignitaries, are exempted from paying the toll fee. However, as the MLA sticker was missing on Chitamaneni's vehicle, the staff sought payment of toll fee.
Agitated by the demand of the toll plaza staff, Chintamaneni left in a huff abandoning his car on the road. He also faces multiple charges of assault.
In February this year, the Bhimadole magistrate sentenced him to two years imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 1,000 on charges of assaulting former Minister Vatti Vasant Kumar, his gunman and former MP Kavuri Sambasiva Rao during a programme in 2011. However, in March, after he moved the Hyderabad HC, his conviction was suspended.