Permanent Restraining Order Issued Against Mark Zuckerberg Stalker

Mark Zuckerberg has been granted a permanent restraining order against the California man the Facebook CEO has accused of stalking him.

A Santa Clara Superior Court order bars Pradeep Manukonda, 31, from having any contact with Zuckerberg until at least February 13, 2014. In a January 31 filing, Zuckerberg accused Manukonda of “stalking me, my girlfriend and sister.”

A temporary restraining order barred Manukonda from going within 300 yards of Zuckerberg and his girlfriend Priscilla Chan. It also ordered Manukonda to halt e-mail and Facebook contact with the 26-year-old billionaire and to stay away from Zuckerberg’s home and offices in Palo Alto.

Court records show that a permanent restraining order was issued a week before a scheduled February 22 hearing in front of Judge Socrates Manoukian. It appears that Manukonda, who did not respond to a message left on his voicemail, did not oppose the issuance of the permanent restraining order. Though termed "permanent," California law only allows judges to issue restraining orders of up to three years in length.

Zuckerberg was prompted to file for the original restraining order after Manukonda sent him a series of troubling messages asking for help and claiming he was “ready to die for you.” Manukonda also repeatedly sought to meet the Facebook boss at his home and office despite warnings from the police and Zuckerberg’s corporate security team.