Hyderabad: The cyber crime police have arrested two women journalists, including a senior reporter for allegedly engaging in spreading ‘defamatory content and conspiracy’ against Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy.
The accused have been identified as Revathi, the managing director of Pulse News, and 25-year-old reporter Bandi Sandhya alias Thanvi Yadav.
According to the Hyderabad police, the case was registered based on a complaint by a Congress social media cell state secretary, who came across an abusive video circulating on the X (Twitter) account. The video, featuring a Pulse TV interview, allegedly contained provocative and defamatory remarks against the Telangana CM.
The complainant accused the news channel and social media profile of deliberate misinformation and attempts to incite unrest.
Based on the complaint, the Hyderabad police registered a case under section 67 IT Act, Sec 111, (organised crime), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), 353(2) (assault or criminal force to deter public servant), 352 (assault or criminal force otherwise than on graveprovocation) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The police also seized electronic devices, including laptops, hard disks, and a media microphone, from the accused. Further investigation is ongoing.
Earlier, Revathi stated in the video that, “I woke up about 30 minutes ago, the time is about 5:15 am now. The police showed up half an hour ago. The police might pick me up and take me. So I thought I should tell everybody. One thing is clear, chief minister Revanth Reddy wants to silence or threaten me or put pressure on my family.”
In response to the incident, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) shared the journalist’s video and condemned the action calling it “emergency-style rule in the state.”
Senior BRS leader and former minister Harish Rao also condemned the alleged arrest of the women journalists, asking the state government why they were arrested.
“Is this democracy or dictatorship? @revanth_anumula government responds to questions with arrests. The illegal arrest of senior journalist @revathitweets garu at 5 AM today exposes how insecure and cowardly this government has become. I strongly condemn this shameful attempt to silence voices and suppress press freedom. #CongressFailedTelangana,” he wrote on X.
FIR against journalist filed last year
Last year, she was booked over a complaint by an assistant engineer from the electricity board over a ‘false allegation’ of power interruption for hours in a locality.
The complainant, assistant engineer in the operation section at the Hayathnagar Sub-division of Saroor Nagar division lodged a complaint with the LB Nagar police against Revathi alleging that a ‘Hyderabad resident’ made a false allegation of seven hours of power interruption.
He mentioned that at around 5 pm on June 18, he received a message from higher officials that a Twitter user, @revantitweets, posted a message stating that there was a seven-hour power interruption in the LB Nagar area.
During the BRS government’s rule, Revanth Reddy was booked for making abusive remarks against then Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, a move he strongly condemned.
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