Ram Gopal Varma (RGV), a well-known controversial film director, got protection from arrest on Tuesday. The high court gave him this protection in three different cases about his social media posts.
The cases started when RGV posted morphed pictures of political leaders online. A supporter of the TDP party complained that RGV changed photos of their leaders N Chandrababu Naidu, Nara Lokesh, and Pawan Kalyan in a hurtful way.
RGV’s lawyer said the posts were meant to promote his new movie “Vyuham.” He also mentioned that the TDP party had earlier filed a case about the movie but later dropped it.
The AP government lawyer argued that RGV, being a famous director, should be more responsible. He said RGV had done similar things since 2014 and wasn’t helping with the investigation.
After hearing both sides, Judge N Harinath granted anticipatory bail for RGV on certain terms. He must provide a guarantee of 10,000 rupee surety bond from two people. The court also ordered him to help with the investigation whenever asked.
The case shows how social media morphed posts about public figures can lead to legal troubles in Indian politics. RGV now has protection from arrest but must follow the court’s rules as long as the investigation continues.
