YouTuber & TDP supporter BVR gets bail, alleges police torture

Amaravati: A day after he was arrested and released on bail, YouTube influencer and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supporter B. Vengala Rao on 27 August alleged that he was brutally tortured in police custody.

"The Crime Investigation Department (CID) have put up false cases against me and arrested me at midnight. I have been brutally tortured in the police custody," he said.

Popularly known as BVR, Vengala Rao was arrested by the CID on 26 August while he was travelling to Hyderabad. The CID court, on 27 August, granted bail to the YouTuber.

When produced before the magistrate, Vengala Rao said he was brutally tortured in police custody. Following the allegations, the court directed him to undergo medical examination.

Soon after his release on Saturday evening, he got a call from TDP supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu who gave his support to BVR. Mr. Naidu said they would fight for him and get justice.

Speaking to the media after his release, BVR mentioned Chief Minister Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy and said they will continue to raise and highlight the false activities of the government until they stop doing them. He criticised the police and said they need to do their duties instead of supporting YSRCP.

Cases under sections 153(A) (promoting enmity between different groups), 505(2) (statements creating or promoting enmity between classes), 506 (criminal intimidation), 386 (extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and secs 67-A of the IT Act of 2000 were booked against BVR.

Who is BVR?

The 32-year-old Vengala Rao runs a YouTube channel called Gharshana Media which has over 242K subscribers and over 1,600 videos. The channel mostly posts videos against the YSRCP government. On 25 August, he posted a video slamming the vandalisation of an Anna canteen in Kuppam by YSRCP supporters. The video has so far got 81K views.

Following BVR's arrest, TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh took to Twitter demanding the CID immediately release him. He shared a video of BVR being taken for medical examination and alleged that the CID is working for the YSRCP. Asking why Venkata Rao was tortured, Lokesh said the CID is arresting and torturing anyone who is speaking against Jagan.