Journalist's Arrest Sparks Outrage Over Amaravati Debate Comments
andhrapradesh | Written by : IANS
Amaravati, June (IANS) A court in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur district on Thursday sent journalist and political analyst VV Krishnam Raju to judicial custody for 14 days for allegedly making derogatory remarks about women from the Amaravati region during a debate on Telugu news channel Sakshi owned by former chief minister and YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Krishnam Raju, who was arrested in Visakhapatnam district on Wednesday night, was produced before Mangalgiri court, which sent him to judicial custody till June 26.
Raju, who was allegedly evading arrest, was taken arrested by police on Wednesday night near Gosthani river in Bheemili in Visakhapatnam district.
Krishnam Raju had allegedly referred to Amaravati as a ‘capital of prostitutes’ during a debate aired live on June 6.
Police have already arrested senior journalist and ‘Sakshi TV’ anchor Kommineni Srinivas, who had moderate the debate.
A case was registered against the two journalists and the management of ‘Sakshi TV’ on June 9.
The case was registered at the Thullur Police Station in Guntur district under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Information Technology Act, and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The FIR includes offences under sections 79, 196(1), 353(2), 299, 356(2), 61(1) BNS, 67 ITA-2008, 3(1)(U), SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
A police team had arrested Srinivasa Rao from his residence in Hyderabad on Monday and brought him to Guntur. A court on Tuesday sent him to judicial custody for 14 days. He was subsequently shifted to Guntur district jail.
A huge controversy erupted over certain comments allegedly made by the analyst during the show.
On a complaint by State Madiga Corporation director Khambampati Sirisha, the police booked Srinivasa Rao, Krishnam Raju and the management of ‘Sakshi TV’ for the alleged derogatory remarks against Amaravati farmers and women.