What Happened?
Phanumanthu and his friends created a video intended as a roast and dark comedy. However, the content took a disturbing turn, especially with their offensive comments about the father-daughter relationship. The video quickly went viral, making audiences appalled and sparking intense debate across Telugu states. The controversial nature of their remarks ignited widespread outrage, making the video a topic of discussion and scrutiny.
What Did They Say in the Video:
Four males are online together, viewing a reel and leaving comments on the footage. In the reel they were viewing, a father spending quality time with his 4-year-old daughter. However, these narrow-minded individuals made hurtful remarks about the father-daughter relationship in the name of black humour. It was incredibly repulsive how they altered the rhyme “open your mouth ha ha”.
The viewers were shocked by other remarks they made. They even alluded to paedophilia in their conversation. It is not possible to discuss here all the disgusting comments they made. Their appalling perversion was demonstrated by one of them making remarks about the 4-year-old girl’s physical features.
Netizens and Film Personalities Slam the Youtubers, Video Taken Down
Netizens and film personalities were quick to condemn the creators of the controversial video. Many netizens expressed disbelief and outrage, with comments such as, “We can’t believe such horrific people exist.” There was a strong call for stringent punishment for those involved.
Actor Sai Dharam Tej also responded, stating, “This is beyond gruesome, disgusting, and scary. Monsters like these go unnoticed on the widely used social platform, engaging in child abuse disguised as so-called fun and dank. Child safety is the need of the hour.” He tagged the Chief Ministers, Deputy Chief Ministers, and police departments of both Telugu states in his posts. Sai Dharam Tej’s response is appreciated by all.
Manchu Manoj also addressed the issue, promising that he would ensure these individuals face punishment. The backlash from both the public and celebrities underscored the gravity of the situation and the urgent need for action.
The video was finally taken down from YouTube.
Governments and Police’s Swift Reaction:
Both the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments, along with their ministers and police, responded swiftly. Revanth Reddy stated, “Thank you for bringing this issue to our notice, @IamSaiDharamTej garu. Child safety is our government’s utmost priority. We will look into this incident and take appropriate action.”
The Telangana police echoed this commitment, announcing, “Addressing the inappropriate comments on a child, an FIR has been filed with @TGCyberBureau, and strict actions will follow. We are committed to protecting all citizens, especially children. Offenders misusing social media for humour will face justice.”
Telangana’s Minister for Child Welfare, Seethakka, reacted strongly in a video, declaring that cases are being filed against those responsible. The Andhra Pradesh government also responded to the issue, reinforcing their dedication to child safety.
Background of P. Hanumanthu
The police identified Praneeth Hanumanthu as currently residing in the USA and he is from Andhra Pradesh. Netizens discovered that he comes from an educated family, with his father being a senior bureaucrat. His brother is also a vlogger and has recently acted in some movies.
P. Hanumanthu’s Response
In a video statement, P. Hanumanthu issued an apology but attempted to justify his joke by stating that comedy evolves over time and that they were experimenting with dark comedy. He also tried to justify by saying that the father-daughter referenced in their video was not real-life father and daughter but only actors. Despite his justification, he apologized and requested netizens not to involve his parents in the controversy, as the backlash extended to his family and their upbringing. His apology came out more as a plea to internet users to spare his parents from the criticism than as an admission of guilt for the remarks.
Will These Guys Get Punishment?
Despite the IT Act’s limitations, the POCSO Act has strong provisions to punish these individuals. However, concerns persist that they might escape due to technicalities, such as whether the child in the video is Indian or not. Also, whether our system is strong enough to bring such people from the US to India to punish. The public remains anxious, hoping the legal system can navigate these nuances to ensure justice is served and prevent future incidents of this nature.
These individuals must be punished to send a clear message that exploiting children, even under the guise of comedy, is unacceptable. Netizens should unfollow and avoid such content to prevent encouraging harmful behaviour. This incident is also a wake-up call for parents to be cautious about posting videos of their children online, as it can inadvertently expose them to predators and misuse. Protecting children must always be a top priority in the digital age.
