KHAMMAM: In a twist to the case where officials were booked for partying at Madhira despite the lockdown, the police have registered cases against eight reporters under various sections of the IPC for trespass and invasion of privacy. This comes after Khammam RDO submitted a report on the issue after he was appointed the inquiry officer by District Collector RV Karnan.
Madhira Sub-Inspector Uday Kumar said the officials — Deputy Jailor of Madhira N Prabhakar, Sub-Jailer Prabhakar Reddy and government doctor Srinivasa Rao — visited the Tahsildar Saidulu’s office to discuss Coronavirus and the measures to contain it.
After the meeting, they were invited by the Tahsildar to his guest house where they were joined by Extension Officer Rural Development (EORD) Raja Rao. It was then that they heard noises outside and panicked. The officials, in their complaint, said some media persons barged in and started assaulting them, the SI said.
On April 13, the reporters received information that some officials were partying at a guest house in violation of the lockdown orders. They broke into the guest house and assaulted the officials following which cases were booked against the latter for not maintaining social distance. Sub-Jailer Prabhakar Reddy was also suspended from duty.
But on Thursday, the officials filed a complaint against the reporters. And based on their complaint, cases were registered against eight reporters. Meanwhile, the mediapersons said they were being framed and false cases were registered against them. Members of various journalists’ associations on Thursday demanded that the government withdraw the cases and met Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar.