VISAKHAPATNAM: Three youths who reportedly made objectionable posts against Gajapathinagaram MLA K Appala Naidu on a WhatsApp group were allegedly kidnapped by the latter's henchmen who later handed over the youths to the police.The henchmen of the ruling party MLA allegedly kidnapped the youths on Thursday and handed them over to the police on Friday. The ordeal of the youths did not end there, as they were soon placed under arrest over the WhatsApp posts.The youths were identified as Damisetti Chinna Rao of Bondapalli mandal, Narikela Venkatesam of Kinguva and Mamidi Manikantha of Gajapathinagaram town, all students of a private college in Vizianagaram. A case was also slapped against them under Section 41 of the CrPC at Gajapathinagaram police station based on a complaint filed by TDP leader Ravi Sridhar. Two techies were also similarly arrested when they posted against chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Payakaraopet MLA Vangalapudi Anita of Visakhapatnam district. A Bangalore-based software professional Ippala Ravindra was arrested and interrogated by the SC and ST cell police in May for posting objectionable comments against MLA V Anitha.Another techie Inturi Ravi Kiran, a graphic designer from Cyberabad, was arrested in April by the police for posting objectionable pictures with the building of the Legislative Council at Velagapudi in the backdrop in his Facebook page titled 'Political Punch'. According to sources, police had grilled nine youths and finally detained three belonging to Gajapatinagaram constituency in regard with a post circulating in WhatsApp against the ruling party MLA Appala Naidu. In the post, a picture of the MLA is accompanied by a caption that reads that the man in question is missing and it is presumed that he is dead as he has been unable to fulfil a single promise made by him."People had reposed their faith in him with his promises and won the election with their votes. However, he did not fulfil his promises and people are wondering if he has died. We request people to share this post with everyone so that the MLA might remember the promises he made," reads the post that is going viral for the last three days. After learning this, the MLA's henchmen swung into action and found the youths who reportedly posted it, and picked them up before handing them over to the police.Police however denied that the youths were kidnapped by the MLA's henchmen.Vizianagaram SP Palaraju told TOI that reports of the kidnapping are false, adding that it was his sub-inspector who took the youths into custody. "How can an MLA's henchmen kidnap the youths without any knowledge of who posted it? They will not have the technical knowledge . We have information and tracked the message from where it had originated. Our men rounded up nine persons who were suspected to have circulated the post. Finally, three youths admitted that they circulated it," the SP said.MLA Appala Naidu was not available for comments despite attempts to contact him as his mobile phone was switched off. His followers said the MLA has no role to play in the entire episode as he was busy addressing public grievances every day by visiting constituency areas

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