Hyderabad: Late Tuesday night, the Hyderabad Police’s Central Crime Station (CCS) arrested NTV Input Editor Donthu Ramesh and reporters Paripoorna Chary and Sudheer. This action is related to a contentious news story involving a female IAS officer and a Telangana Minister.
Ramesh was detained at the Hyderabad Airport while preparing to travel with his family. Reports suggest that all three journalists might face the magistrate on Thursday, January 14.
NTV employees demonstrated against their colleagues’ arrests.
VC Sajjanar, the Hyderabad City Police Commissioner, justified the nighttime arrests, claiming the journalists tried to evade investigation. He mentioned, “When summoned, they agreed to come but later switched off their phones and booked a flight to Bangkok. If innocent, why flee?”
When questioned about the lack of prior notice, Sajjanar emphasized the importance of complying with police requests. He criticized the report for defaming the IAS officer, stating, “Publishing unverified news causes undue stress to the officer and her family.”
Local channels recently aired allegations of a senior Congress Politician having an affair with an IAS officer, prompting his response. A complaint by Special Chief Secretary Jayesh Ranjan on January 8 labeled the report as false. The Telangana IAS and IPS Officers’ Association also filed complaints against various news outlets, including NTV.
An FIR was registered under sections addressing harassment, stalking, and privacy invasion. The Telangana Police formed an eight-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Commissioner Sajjanar.
The Telangana IAS and IPS Officers’ Association called the stories an attack on women in public service and demanded a retraction.
Opposition leaders, KT Rama Rao (KTR) and Harish Rao, condemned the arrests. KTR likened the situation to India’s Emergency period and criticized the treatment of journalists. He urged the Telangana DGP to adhere to legal procedures and accused the Congress of political manipulation.
Harish Rao labeled the arrests as an attack on democracy and questioned the government’s actions against journalists, calling it a direct assault.
