Jana Sena activists storm Andhra police station over YouTuber Prashna Raavan's arrest
Synopsis
A YouTuber arrested for allegedly targeting Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan has been re-arrested multiple times after successive bail grants — and Jana Sena activists have twice tried to storm police stations holding him. With actor Prakash Raj claiming 30 cases are now filed, the episode has become a flashpoint over press freedom and the limits of political influence over law enforcement in Andhra Pradesh.
Key Takeaways
Jana Sena activists attempted to breach Inaguduru police station in Krishna district on 4 July to confront arrested YouTuber Prashna Raavan .
Bachalakuri Joseph (Prashna Raavan) was first arrested on 30 June in Hyderabad over alleged derogatory remarks against Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan at a Dalit Christian meeting in Eluru on 28 June .
Raavan has been re-arrested at least twice after successive courts granted him bail, each time under a fresh case at a different police station.
Actor Prakash Raj alleged that 30 cases have been filed against Raavan and accused the government of 'abusing power'.
Venkatarami Reddy (KVR) was also arrested on 30 June and sent to 14 days' judicial custody by Bobbili court in Vizianagaram district .
Tension gripped Inaguduru police station in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh, on Friday, 4 July, as Jana Sena Party activists attempted to force their way into the premises to confront YouTuber and political commentator Bachalakuri Joseph, widely known as Prashna Raavan, who was arrested for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan. Police struggled to contain scores of party workers who had surrounded the station, forming a security cordon to hold back the crowd.
What Happened at the Police Station
Despite the cordon, some activists pushed against police personnel, triggering a scuffle. A couple of Jana Sena workers managed to scale the compound wall and enter the premises before being physically overpowered and removed by police. The situation reflected a sharp escalation in tensions surrounding Raavan's custody.
Raavan's Arrest and Bail Chain
Prashna Raavan was first arrested by Andhra Pradesh police on the night of 30 June in Hyderabad, in connection with remarks he allegedly made during a Dalit Christian meeting at Eluru on 28 June — comments that police say were derogatory toward Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and others. The arrest was made by Pithapuram police.
After a court in Pithapuram granted him bail on 1 July, Sarpavaram police in Kakinada district immediately re-arrested him in a separate case. When a court in Kakinada subsequently granted bail, police again arrested him under a case registered at Inaguduru Police Station in Krishna district. He was then shifted to Machilipatnam on Thursday night. According to reports, Jana Sena workers have filed complaints against Raavan at several police stations across the state, citing videos on his YouTube channel 'Prashna'.
Protests at Sarpavaram and Kakinada
Similar scenes had played out a day earlier at Sarpavaram police station in Kakinada district, where Jana Sena workers staged a protest demanding that Raavan be handed over to them. Activists reportedly tried to block the vehicle transporting him to a government hospital for a medical examination, and some hurled eggs at the vehicle.
Actor Prakash Raj Speaks Out
Actor Prakash Raj publicly condemned the repeated arrests, accusing the Andhra Pradesh government of pursuing what he called vendetta politics. In a video posted on social media, he claimed to have learnt that 30 cases have been filed against Raavan. 'How far are you planning to go by abusing power,' he asked, demanding Raavan's immediate release.
Journalist KVR Also Arrested
In a parallel development, Andhra Pradesh police also arrested journalist and political commentator K. Venkatarami Reddy (KVR) from Hyderabad on the night of 30 June, on allegations of making derogatory remarks against Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan. On Thursday, he was produced before Bobbili court in Vizianagaram district, which sent him to judicial custody for 14 days. KVR had originally been booked by police in Vizianagaram district on a complaint filed by former sarpanch Kandi Ramesh of Badangi on 10 April.
The back-to-back arrests of two prominent online commentators within days of each other has drawn attention to the state government's approach to criticism on digital platforms, with opposition voices arguing that the serial re-arrests amount to a circumvention of judicial bail orders.
Point of View
Multiple FIRs, and a pattern of immediate re-custody after bail suggest coordination that goes beyond routine law enforcement. That a second commentator, KVR, was arrested the same night compounds the optics. Andhra Pradesh's new government may have the legal latitude to pursue these cases, but the manner of their execution is handing critics — including Prakash Raj — a ready narrative about the criminalisation of political dissent.
NationPress
3 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Prashna Raavan and why was he arrested?
Prashna Raavan is the alias of YouTuber and political commentator Bachalakuri Joseph, who was arrested for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and others during a Dalit Christian meeting at Eluru on 28 June. Andhra Pradesh police first detained him in Hyderabad on the night of 30 June.
Why has Prashna Raavan been arrested multiple times?
Each time a court granted Raavan bail, police re-arrested him under a separate FIR registered at a different police station — first in Pithapuram, then in Kakinada, and subsequently in Krishna district. According to reports, Jana Sena workers have filed complaints against him at several police stations across Andhra Pradesh citing videos on his YouTube channel 'Prashna'.
What happened at Inaguduru police station?
On 4 July, Jana Sena activists surrounded Inaguduru police station in Krishna district, where Raavan was being held. Some pushed past police, and a couple managed to scale the compound wall before being physically removed. Police formed a security cordon to control the crowd, but scuffles broke out.
What did actor Prakash Raj say about the arrests?
Actor Prakash Raj publicly criticised the Andhra Pradesh government in a social media video, alleging that 30 cases have been filed against Raavan. He accused the government of abusing power and demanded Raavan's immediate release, calling the repeated arrests an act of vendetta politics.
Who is journalist KVR and what is his case?
K. Venkatarami Reddy, known as KVR, is a journalist and political commentator who was arrested from Hyderabad on the night of 30 June for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan. He was produced before Bobbili court in Vizianagaram district, which sent him to 14 days' judicial custody. He had originally been booked on a complaint filed by former sarpanch Kandi Ramesh of Badangi on 10 April.
