YouTuber Praneeth Hanumanthu arrested by Telangana cops

Hyderabad: Praneeth Hanumanthu, a Telugu Youtuber and son of a senior IAS officer H Arun Kumar, who moderated obscene conversations on a father-daughter relationship on a YouTube podcast, was arrested in Bengaluru.

The arrest comes after days of outcry by netizens over the pedophilia content.

The Telangana’s Cyber Security Bureau headed by senior IPS officer Shikha Goyal, on July 10 2024- Wednesday nabbed Praneeth in Bengaluru and produced him before a lower court before he is brought to Hyderabad on transit.

Praneeth who is based out of Andhra Pradesh, claims to be a content creator however went horribly wrong in his latest video. Along with a group of friends, he moderated inappropriate and offensive comments, sexualising a father-daughter relationship under the pretense of humour. This content, which many found grotesque, has led to widespread condemnation. Numerous social media users have tagged the Telangana police, calling for Praneeth’s arrest under the POCSO Act.

Addressing the inappropriate comments on a child, an FIR has been filed with Telangana Cyber Crime Bureau.

Who is Praneeth Hanumanthu?

Praneeth Hanumanthu, a self-proclaimed content creator and son of senior bureaucrat IAS officer H Arun Kumar-(Former AP Civil Supplies Commissioner), before landing himself in a controversy was seen in a brief role as Selva Manikayam Bujjulu in Sudheer Babu’s movie Harom Hara.

Previously known for his critiques of Telugu movies, Praneeth has often drawn the ire of fans of major actors, including Mahesh Babu, for his blunt commentary. Now, however, he faces criticism for degrading and obscene content.

Issued apology:

Praneeth subsequently removed the offensive portions of the video and issued an apology on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Edited out the problematic part from the video. Unconditionally and unambiguously apologetic about the lapse in judgment. As a creator, my attempt is always to put a smile. Unfortunately, this time I have crossed the line between what is dark and what is distasteful.”

Praneeth Hanumanthu, an actor, interviewer, and YouTuber has interviewed several actors for the promotion of their films, including Nani before the release of Hi Nanna and Karthikeya Gummakonda before Bhaja Veeyu Vegam.

He recently acted in the movie 'Harom Hara' of Actor Sudheer Babu. After his offensive comments, Sudheer shared a note on his official X account to apologize for casting Praneeth Hanumantu for a role in his film, Harom Hara.

He wrote, “For good or bad, I'm not a social media guy nor do I keep up with things. I feel so disgusted by the fact we had #PraneethHanumanthu casted in #HaromHara. Sincere apologies from me and my entire team. We didn't know what a pathetic creature this man is. It wasn't in my knowledge".