A court has withdrawn an important charge against two journalists in a case linked to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. The journalists had shared a video on their X account where a man allegedly made “insulting” and “abusive” comments about Reddy. This decision comes at a time when there are rising tensions between the media and the state government.
In a setback for Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, a Hyderabad court on Monday dismissed the key charge of ‘organized crime’ against two journalists arrested for allegedly posting and amplifying abusive content about him.
The court ruled that the charge could not be applied as there were “no monetary transactions made.”
The two journalists Pogadadanda Revathi, Managing Director of Pulse News, and Thanvi Yadav, a reporter for the same outlet were detained by the Cyber Crime division of Hyderabad Police last week.
A third individual, who operates an X account under the name ‘NippuKodi,’ was also apprehended.
Their arrests followed a complaint from the head of the Congress party’s state social media unit. They face charges including spreading rumors to incite hatred and provoking a breach of peace.
The journalists had shared a video in which a man allegedly made “derogatory” and “abusive” remarks about the Chief Minister.
The complainant described the post as “highly provocative,” claiming it could incite violence and was a “deliberate attempt by Pulse TV to defame and spread propaganda.”
In response to the incident, Mr. Reddy warned that strict actions would be taken against those involved in “defamatory propaganda under the guise of journalism.”
He stated,
“We will respond to such criminals as required. If they hide behind a facade, that veil will be removed, and they will be exposed. Don’t create a spectacle. I am also a human being… We will act strictly according to the law and will not exceed any limits.”
The arrest of the two journalists sparked significant backlash from the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), with KT Rama Rao accusing the Congress-led state government of being “intolerant of criticism.”
He remarked,
“It feels like a state of Emergency has returned in Telangana,”
In a lengthy post on X, he claimed that Ms. Revathi’s arrest was illegal, highlighting that police raided her home at 5 a.m. He characterized Ms. Yadav’s arrest as “atrocious” and condemned the lack of press freedom in Telangana.
FOLLOW US FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES ON YOUTUBE
