3 min readHyderabadUpdated: Apr 15, 2026 05:54 PM IST
Anudeep Katikala, a stand-up comedian from Hyderabad, was arrested by the Andhra Pradesh police on Tuesday evening. He was picked up from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, while he was out for a walk with his father. While Anudeep lives in Hyderabad, his parents live in Prayagraj.
Police in Kakinada district said they detained him after a complaint was received from a Jana Sena Party leader, who submitted that Anudeep made derogatory and insulting comments against JSP chief and Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan. Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered at Kakinada One Town police station, and police took up the investigation.
The complaint by B Venkata Krishna, Joint Secretary of JSP, East Godavari district, states that during a programme, Anudeep allegedly insulted actor K Ram Charan Tej by calling him an ideal “feminist”. Anudeep is alleged to have said it was a compliment because Ram Charan’s wife, Upasana, is richer than him. Anudeep is also alleged to have said that people should learn from Pawan Kalyan, who is twice-divorced, but whose ex-wives do not speak against him.
According to a family member, the comedian was out for a walk when a team of the Andhra police arrived and took him into custody. The arrest came despite Katikala having already issued a public apology after his jokes drew outrage from Pawan Kalyan’s fanbase.
As videos of the jokes went viral, Anudeep had said he only praised the actors and did not intend any insult. However, fans demanded action, while several JSP leaders said that Anudeep crossed a line by talking about people’s personal lives. The outrage against the comedian steamrolled into an online campaign as fans of “Mega family” got involved. Ram Charan is the son of Telugu “megastar” K Chiranjeevi, while his brother is K Pawan Kalyan.
After the FIR was filed, the police began searching for Anudeep to record his statement and came to know that he was in Prayagraj. “The local police in Prayagraj were informed, and he was detained and brought to Kakinada to record his statement,” said inspector M Durgarao.
The FIR has been lodged under sections 356(2) (punishment for defamation), 353(2) (making statements in public that are likely to cause public mischief or alarm) and 79 (uttering words or making gestures intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act. Anudeep, an IIT graduate, founded Silly South Comedy and does regular shows in Hyderabad.
