KURNOOL: The Congress government in the state on Wednesday once again muffled the media by arresting two journalists of two vernacular dailies for what it called distorting facts with regard to a report on the Indiramma scheme.
Though the journalists — Boya Sriramulu, contributor of ‘Andhra Jyothi’ and Boya Urukundu of ‘Andhra Bhoomi’ — were picked up from Kodumuru town at 7 am on Wednesday, they were produced in the Kurnool first class judicial magistrate court by the Kodumuru police only at 6 pm.
The sinister designs of the state were evidenced by the fact that though Kodumuru is hardly 35 km from Kurnool, the police kept them waiting till evening. And with the next four days being Diwali holidays for the courts, the government saw to it that the journalist duo cannot move a bail petition and will have to stay put in the Kurnool sub-jail. The two have been remanded in judicial custody till November 20.
Cases were registered under sections 420, 465, 468, 469, 471, 505, 384 (read with 511 - false statement, rumour, etc. with intent to create enmity, hatred or ill-will between different classes) of the Indian Penal Code. The reporters told ‘TOI’ that the local SI invited them to the police station saying that he had ‘some work’ with them and when they went to the PS, they were told by the SI that they have been arrested with regard to the news item case. When contacted, the SI said he is helpless as he is under ‘pressure’ from the top brass.
The scribes wrote an article on October 23, saying that the village secretary of Laddagiri in Kodumuru mandal had sanctioned houses under the Indiramma scheme to chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, minister M Mareppa, local MLA M Sikhamani and film actor Nagarjuna. The village secretary, K Madduleti, had also signed the orders to release Rs 51,000 and 140 cement bags for these beneficiaries.
District collector M Dana Kishore ordered the suspension and arrest of the village secretary immediately. Accordingly, district housing manager P Vijay Kumar registered a case against the official and the latter was arrested. However, police claimed that they had investigated the case and found fault with the two reporters.
Police, in the remand report, said the reporters made an attempt to extort money from the Laddagiri village secretary and the mandal work inspector of AP Housing Board by taking the signature of the panchayat secretary in an empty proforma recommending release of payment/issue of cement and by converting the said proforma as a genuine one by forging it for the purpose of cheating and for harming the reputation. They also published the news item against the panchayat secretary when he did not oblige to pay money to them, the remand report claimed.
Protesting the attempt to gag the freedom of the press, journalists union leaders and scribes met district collector M Dana Kishore and expressed their resentment over the arrests. It was only some months ago that the Rajasekhara Reddy government had issued an order to prosecute those who write against the government, only to hastily withdraw it after it triggered huge protests.
