Hyderabad: The Cyber Crimes wing of the Cyberabad Police booked 73 people, including social media influencers and journalists, after an actress filed a complaint of online harassment on Monday, January 12, in Hyderabad.
In her complaint, the actress, Anasuya Bharadwaj, said the online harassment began on December 22, 2025, when Telugu actor Sivaji said that women should opt for sarees or fully covered outfits, and that “beauty lies in complete attire and not in displaying physical assets.” The remarks drew widespread condemnation.
On December 23, media personnel sought Bharadwaj’s reaction, for which the actress favoured individual freedom and personal choice. The following day, Sivaji took her name to discuss her views.
After this, she said, many channels and content creators reportedly started targeting her. She alleged that some of them sent her sexually abusive and obscene messages.
Hyderabad TV channel anchors reportedly harass actress
Police registered a case under Sections 75 (sexual harassment), 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 336(4) (forgery for purpose of harming reputation), 351 (criminal intimidation) and 356 (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 66-E and 67 of the Information Technology Act.
The accused include Hyderabad television anchors, social media influencers and YouTube channels. The 22-page first information report (FIR) also listed media professionals.
Police officials said they are going to write to social media platforms to remove the objectionable content.
