Controversial filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma reportedly evaded arrest on Monday when Andhra Pradesh police arrived at his Hyderabad residence to detain him for failing to respond to their summons regarding alleged abusive content posted on social media.
According to reports, police from Prakasam district visited Varma’s home in the morning, only to be informed that he was not present. Despite waiting outside his residence for several hours, they were unable to locate him.
The case against Varma stems from a complaint lodged at Maddipadu police station in Prakasam district, accusing him of posting derogatory content on X (formerly Twitter) targeting political leaders, including Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and Nara Lokesh.
These posts were part of the promotional campaign for his film Vyuham, which focuses on Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's political journey.
Police had previously issued summons for Varma to appear for questioning, but he failed to comply. After ignoring the initial notice, a second notice was issued on Monday.
Meanwhile, Varma approached the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking protection from arrest. However, the court denied his anticipatory bail request, stating it could not preemptively prevent his arrest.
Varma has since filed another bail petition, which is currently under consideration. His lawyer, in response to the second notice, requested additional time, which police granted, giving him six days to appear.
However, Varma informed Maddipadu police that he could not comply due to the pending bail petition.
With the deadline expiring on Monday, Prakasam district police traveled to Hyderabad to take further action.
However, Varma reportedly left his residence before their arrival, with his staff informing the police that he was "out of station." Authorities have now launched a manhunt to locate him.
