The news that the Andhra Pradesh police dropped Inturi Ravi Kiran, who hit the headlines in the last 24 hours with his arrest for posting derogatory content on AP legislative council, in the early hours of Saturday, came as a surprise for many.
Many people thought the police would subject him to physical and mental torture and force him to cough up statements against YSR Congress party, before being produced in the court. But nothing of that has happened.
And Ravi Kiran himself told Sakshi channel that he was taken to different places in different vehicles and the police had only questioned him on his activities but did not subject him to any physical harassment.
He, however, disclosed that he was forced to admit that he was working at the behest of YSR Congress party.
The social media campaigners claimed that Ravi Kiran was released because of pressure from the people on the social media, while YSR Congress party leaders said the Naidu government was afraid that the arrest would boomerang on it as the party was getting ready for a big movement to protest the gag on freedom of expression.
Sources, however, say the real objective of the arrest of Ravi Kiran was that Naidu wanted to send a stern message to all social media groups that it would not keep quiet if anybody tried to cross the line and abuse Naidu or Lokesh in vulgar manner in the social media.
“It was done just as a warning to others. The cases against Ravi Kiran were not withdrawn. So, if anybody else tries to make the same mistake, the government would take stern action,” an official said.
Apparently, the police told Ravi Kiran not to spoil his career by indulging in such malicious campaign against any politician.
They also warned that if he continued with such activities, they would file a case against him under SC/ST atrocities act against him, as in one of his social media postings, he has made derogatory comments against Dalit MLA V Anitha.
