VIJAYAWADA: Vasireddy Mahitha, wife of Cherukuri Venkatesh Naidu, an accused in the alleged liquor scam, has approached the High Court, seeking an independent probe into alleged unauthorised media leaks by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case.
In her petition, filed on Friday, Mahitha alleged that confidential data, including private photos, videos, and personal information, was unlawfully leaked from her husband’s mobile phone, which had been seized during the investigation. She claimed this violated legal and constitutional protections.
Mahitha requested the court to prohibit the publication, broadcast, circulation, or sharing of any content obtained from the phone, and sought the removal of any material already disseminated through newspapers, television, websites, digital platforms, and social media. She also sought interim restrictions to all media from making any comments or allegations against her husband.
She named SIT investigation officer R Srihari Babu as a primary respondent, along with the Union Secretary for Information and Broadcasting, the Secretary of the AP Home Department, the APCID chief, multiple TV channels, and social media platforms. Alleging that SIT officials were directly involved in the leaks, Mahitha claimed Srihari Babu personally seized the device and acted unilaterally.
She further stated that both she and her husband were threatened, and the phone was taken without proper legal authority. The petitioner accused SIT officials of negligence in handling the case property, misuse of official powers, and deliberate sensationalism to influence public perception.