Anasuya files police complaint against 42 for online abuse, threats
HYDERABAD: Tollywood actor and television anchor Anasuya Bharadwaj has lodged a police complaint against 42 persons, including film producers, journalists, television channels and social media influencers, accusing them of online abuse, criminal intimidation, defamation and circulation of morphed and AI-generated sexually explicit content.
According to the First Information Report registered on Tuesday, Bharadwaj said she became the target of a coordinated online attack after she shared her views on women’s clothing on December 20. The remarks followed comments by actor Shivaji at a pre-release event.
At the event for his upcoming film Dhandoraa, Shivaji urged actresses to wear saris and traditional attire, stating that beauty lay in not “displaying physical assets”.
AI-morphed content circulated without consent
Bharadwaj alleged that soon after, multiple social media users, content creators, television anchors and online platforms began amplifying abusive content against her. She said her images and videos were edited using artificial intelligence tools and converted into sexually explicit material, which was circulated without her consent across platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and X.
The complaint said the content included obscene commentary, character assassination, defamatory statements and direct threats to her life and family. She alleged that several videos zoomed in on her body parts, cropped visuals in a derogatory manner and used abusive language, amounting to voyeurism and sexual harassment.
The actress told police that the sustained harassment had severely affected her “sense of safety, livelihood and access to public life”, adding that she was living in “constant fear of physical harm”.
Police said a case has been registered under Sections 75, 79, 336(4), 351 and 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and Sections 66-E and 67 of the Information Technology Act.
