Hyderabad: Telangana police arrested three journalists from Telugu news channel NTV over a programme involving a woman IAS officer and a state minister. The arrests triggered widespread political condemnation across party lines.
Police detained Donthu Ramesh, NTV’s input editor, at Hyderabad airport on Tuesday. They also arrested reporters Paripurna Chari and Sudheer the same day. The arrests came after the state government set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar, just five days after the broadcast.
NTV apology fails to prevent arrests
On Tuesday evening, NTV’s management issued a public apology after consulting legal advisers. This move led many to believe the issue had been resolved. However, the late-night arrests reignited controversy and drew sharp criticism from opposition parties.
BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao strongly opposed the police action. “I condemn the arrest of three journalists on a festival day,” he said, adding that the Congress government’s actions reminded him of the Emergency period.
According to KTR, the police could have issued notices and called the journalists in for questioning. Instead, he said, the police raided homes at night, which he described as an act of intimidation. He urged Telangana DGP Anjani Kumar to follow proper legal procedure and not act on political pressure.
KTR also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for not speaking out while journalists’ rights were being violated in Telangana.
Harish Rao, Jagga Reddy, BJP leaders also react
Former minister and BRS MLA T. Harish Rao echoed KTR’s concerns. He called the arrests vindictive and undemocratic, and accused the Congress of targeting media houses instead of focusing on governance.
“This is a blatant attack on democratic values and media freedom,” Rao stated. He said he had spoken with senior officer Shivdhar Reddy and questioned the need for midnight arrests without prior notice. According to him, the Congress government was emulating Indira Gandhi’s Emergency tactics to stifle dissent.
The BJP also criticised the arrests. Telangana BJP President N. Ramchander Rao described the detentions as a sign of an “Emergency mindset.” He said the BJP would continue to defend press freedom and democratic rights.
Meanwhile, TPCC Working President Jagga Reddy urged restraint. Although he supported the Congress government, he admitted that the arrests were poorly handled. He advised SIT officials to remain calm and act carefully to avoid giving political advantage to the opposition.
So far, Telangana police have not released any official statement outlining the charges against the three journalists.