Hyderabad: The Cyber Crime Wing of the Hyderabad Police has registered a case following a complaint by a 29-year-old UPSC aspirant who alleged that defamatory videos and social media posts falsely identified him with allegations made against another individual sharing the same first name, causing serious reputational damage and mental distress.
The complainant, Harshith Kaveti, a resident of Banjara Hills, claimed that several social media accounts circulated videos and posts wrongly portraying him as the individual accused in an unrelated case.
Mistaken Identity Due to Similar First Name
According to the complaint, videos shared by social media accounts operating under the names “Journalist Rakesh”, “Thirupathi (TRTV)” and others allegedly identified Harshith Kaveti as the person accused of impregnating a woman belonging to the Scheduled Caste community.
Harshith maintained that he has no connection whatsoever with the allegations and asserted that his photographs were circulated online merely because he shares the same first name as the actual person referred to in the videos.
He further stated that he neither has an office in Manikonda nor any association with the incident being discussed in the social media content.
Claims Damage to Reputation and UPSC Preparation
In his complaint, Harshith stated that he is related to Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar and alleged that the circulation of his photographs and personal details on social media resulted in widespread confusion.
He claimed that the posts triggered numerous phone calls and messages from relatives, friends and acquaintances, causing severe mental agony to him and his family.
According to the complaint, the controversy has also adversely affected his preparation for the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
Audio Recording Submitted to Police
The complainant further alleged that he had obtained an audio recording purportedly featuring a conversation between Bhethi Mahender Reddy and journalist Thirupathi, in which they allegedly discussed plans to falsely implicate him while avoiding legal consequences.
He requested the police to verify the authenticity of the recording and examine it as part of the investigation.
Allegation of Fabricated Claims
Harshith also alleged that the social media content falsely claimed that leaders from the Scheduled Caste community had offered ₹10 crore as a settlement to the woman concerned.
According to him, the claim was entirely fabricated and had the potential to create social discord and further damage his reputation.
Police Register Case
Seeking legal action, the UPSC aspirant urged the police to remove the defamatory content from various social media platforms, identify those responsible for creating and circulating it, and initiate criminal proceedings against them.
Based on the complaint, the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have registered a case under Section 67 of the Information Technology Act along with relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Police said that further investigation into the matter is underway.
