Tirupati: A43-year-old businessman from Kadiri in Sri Sathya Sai district has been taken into custody by Tirupati police for allegedly posting misleading and defamatory remarks against public figures and government bodies on social media platform ‘X’.

The accused, identified as Kaulepalli Amjad Khan, also known as Mega Amjad, is accused of operating two fake profiles under the names Chiranjeeevi@KaranamNTR and Eren Chowdary@ChowdaryOnX. Police said he used these handles to post objectionable content aimed at fuelling political and communal discord.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Khan had published false claims about TTD chairman B R Naidu, minister Nara Lokesh, and members of MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna’s family, apart from other derogatory posts against political leaders.

Following complaints lodged by concerned individuals, two separate FIRs were registered at the Tirupati West Police Station. The accused, who was already lodged in Kadiri Sub-Jail, was brought to Tirupati on a prisoner transit warrant and produced before the Principal Junior Civil Judge Court on Thursday. The court ordered his judicial remand for 15 days. Issuing a stern warning, Tirupati district police said spreading misinformation or content that can trigger political or community tensions online would invite strict legal consequences. Authorities urged the public to use social media responsibly and avoid sharing unverified or provocative material.