HYDERABAD: Two days after the DGP formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate two cases — one involving an allegedly humiliating video of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and another related to alleged fake news about a bureaucrat and a minister — two journalists from vernacular news channel NTV were arrested on Wednesday for airing alleged defamatory content against a minister and a woman IAS officer.
Donthu Ramesh was picked up from Hyderabad airport in the early hours of Wednesday while he was about to fly to Bangkok with his family for a vacation. The police also detained another NTV journalist, Paripurna Chary but he was released in the evening, after questioning at the CCS.
Ramesh, the input editor, and Dasari Sudheer, a senior reporter, were taken to the government hospital at King Koti and later produced before a magistrate.
The SIT conducted searches at the NTV office twice on Wednesday, questioned staff and seized some material. The complaint was lodged by IAS Officers Association secretary Jayesh Ranjan on behalf of the Association.
The complaint cited violation of privacy and indecent representation of a woman IAS officer, affecting her dignity. The association stated that the content aired by NTV was false and fabricated. CCS police registered a case under Sections 75, 78, 79, 351(1), 352, 61(2) and 238 of BNS, Section 67 of the IT Act, and Sections 3 and 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.
The arrests triggered a political row, with BRS and BJP leaders describing the action as an attack on press freedom.
What are the accused scared of, asks Sajjanar
Speaking to the media, Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar said that those asked to appear for investigation should cooperate with the police. He said one of the reporters attempted to leave the country by booking a flight to Bangkok at 5.30 am.
“He switched off his mobile phone on Tuesday evening and purchased tickets for Bangkok. He has to cooperate with the investigation. Why is he fleeing?” Sajjanar asked.
“If you are correct, come and cooperate with the investigation. Why are you scared if you have not done anything wrong? What evidence do you have to humiliate a woman officer?” he asked.
Responding to questions on the issuance of notices, Sajjanar said, “Why should we give notices? We will call whoever is required and conduct the investigation. Where is the CEO? He should come, no?” He added that the police would go wherever required, arrest the accused and produce them before the court.
Speaking to the media, Donthu Ramesh described the arrest as illegal and said he would take legal recourse. Sudheer said cases were booked against him even though he was not involved. On January 12, the DGP had constituted the SIT following NTV airing the ‘off the record’ report.
The arrests triggered a political storm, with BRS leaders KT Rama Rao and T Harish Rao, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy questioning the government’s actions.
“Where is your Mohabbat Ki Dukaan, Rahul Gandhi?” asked Rama Rao while Harish Rao questioned why journalists were being targeted when several serious cases were pending. He also questioned the need for late-night searches and the urgency to break open journalists’ houses.
“It’s extremely unfortunate that the state government acted aggressively by raiding journalists’ houses without even giving notices, when the investigation is still in progress. Breaking down doors and arresting the journalists was not correct. Action should be taken only after the investigation is completed,” said Kishan Reddy in a statement.
In a post on social media platform X, Jagan said: “Forcefully entering journalists’ homes by breaking doors at midnight during this festival and arresting them without following due legal procedure or issuing notices is highly deplorable and reflects an authoritarian mindset. Journalists are neither criminals nor terrorists, yet they are being treated with unwarranted harshness.”
It may be recalled that after NTV’s ‘off the record’ story was aired and later deleted from its YouTube channel, Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy rejected the allegations and dismissed the report as false propaganda.
Taking note of the matter, the IAS Officers Association filed a complaint with the police on January 10 over the alleged tarnishing of the image of a woman IAS officer. This led DGP B Shivadhar Reddy to constitute the SIT.
DGP: character assassination won’t be tolerated
DGP Shivadhar Reddy, in a press release on Wednesday, expressed displeasure over character assassination on social media platforms. He warned that strict action would be taken against those involved in defamation, character assassination or the spread of false news about individuals or their family members.
Meanwhile, Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar, in a post on social media platform X, said: “Criticism and scrutiny are part of public life. But maligning any woman — be she a public servant, a professional in the private sector or a homemaker — through words, TV stories or social media is not criticism; it is cruelty. It is unacceptable and must be condemned without hesitation by everyone.”
Arrests will spell trouble for govt, opines Jagga reddy
Hyderabad: Congress working president T Jayaprakash Reddy alias Jagga Reddy on Wednesday condemned the arrests of NTV journalists. In a statement issued here, he said that the arrest of journalists in the midst of Sankranti festival will spell trouble for the state government.
“These arrests will become a tool for the Opposition to target the government. The government constituted the SIT. The SIT should have given notices to the journalists and summoned them for the investigation. The officials should maintain utmost restraint,” the Congress leader opined. Jagga Reddy also condemned the news reports that targeted a woman IAS officer, stating that “such reports are not good for society”.