Two popular comedians from the Telugu comedy show Jabardasth were arrested by the Visakhapatanam City Task Force (CTF) police late on Tuesday night for their alleged involvement in a sex work racket.
According to Task Force police officials, a raid was conducted in an apartment in Madhavadhara locality in Visakhapatnam following a tipoff.
Speaking to TNM, CTF Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) A Trinad Rao said, "We got reliable information about illegal activities in an apartment in Madhavadhara. A raid was carried out where four clients and two organisers were arrested and one woman was rescued."
The police further stated that two of the four clients have been identified as Peddiredla Dora Babu (32) and Eemani Parades (24). Both are comedy artists in the Jabardasth programme.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act.
Two other clients hail from East Godavari and Visakhapatnam, the Task Force ACP said. All the six arrested were sent to judicial remand on Wednesday.
Dorababu and Parades have been performing in the Telugu comedy show for sometime now. The show is no stranger to controversy, as it has received flak several times from women's rights activists and progressive sections of society for its sexist and racist content.
Read: Parental pressure, rejection, adult content: What kids on Telugu reality TV shows face
In another raid on Wednesday in the limits of IV Town Police Station, the CTF arrested two persons, an organiser and a client from a brothel, and rescued a woman from Pune.