The Hindu : Front Page : Editor’s arrest: media up in arms

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Thursday, Jun 26, 2008
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Editor’s arrest: media up in arms

State government draws flak; bail petition moved in High Court

- PHOTO: P.V. SIVAKUMAR

OUTCRY: Journalists protest the arrest of Andhra Jyothi Editor in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

HYDERABAD: Media and major political parties were up in arms throughout the State on Wednesday to protest against the arrest and imprisonment of the Editor of Andhra Jyothi, K. Srinivas, along with two reporters of the daily.

Mr. Srinivas and the two journalists were produced before the III Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate well past Tuesday midnight and remanded to 15-day judicial custody. They were shifted to the Chanchalguda Central Prison Wednesday morning after detention overnight in Banjara Hills police station.

The Andhra Jyothi management moved a bail petition in the A. P. High Court praying for release of their release and the court posted the matter for Thursday. The government, which was widely criticised for the journalists’ arrests, refused to intervene in the matter barring the assurance by Home Minister K. Jana Reddy not to oppose their bail petition.

Mr. Jana Reddy faced the brunt of the journalists’ protest when reporters remained standing at his press conference and staged a walkout after raising slogans against the “efforts to stifle the voice of the press”. Mr. Jana Reddy was grilled by the scribes for his response to the open threats held out by MRPS leader Manda Krishna to attack Andhra Jyothi’s offices. They later staged a sit-in in front of C block housing the Chief Minister’s office.

The Home Minister, however, defended the action claiming “arrests under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act can be made at anytime.” They were based on a complaint lodged by Mr. Manda Krishna after the police obtained legal opinion. He offered to order an inquiry to ascertain whether there were any lapses on the part of the inquiry officer.

Demonstrations

An impressive rally was taken out in the city by the A. P. Union of Working Journalists. Elsewhere in the State, representatives of the media organisations held demonstrations and organised road blocks on highways and junctions leading to disruption of traffic. Journalists gheraoed Ministers, including Mukesh Goud and Mohd. Ali Shabbir in Hyderabad, to register their protest. Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu participated in the rasta roko in Srikakulam district.

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