Noted Telugu journalist Teenmaar Mallanna (Naveen Kumar), has reached out to the Chief Justice High Court of Telangana alleging that the officials of the state’s Special Branch (SB) and Intelligence Branch are ‘abusing their power’ against him.
Mallanna, in a letter to Chief Justice of the High Court, has alleged, "lately the Special Branch and Intelligence Branch of Police Department are constantly telephoning me, my family members and my kith and kin seeking some information about my whereabouts and other information related to me."
Mallanna, who currently works with a Telugu news channel, also runs a YouTube channel called ‘Q News’ and is also active on social media. He is known for taking on the Telangana government over its policies. He also recently contested the Huzurnagar bye-election, going up against the TRS and Congress.
"In my news channel lately I have unearthed several land scams concealed in the State of Telangana and also disclosed some hidden facts unpalatable to the current establishment. With an intention to bring just news to my viewers and through my unbiased reporting I have gained some prominence in the state and regrettably in there process unwittingly I have antagonized a few prominent leaders of the present dispensation. Therefore, the current dispensation kept me under the radar and vigilantly observing my every move (sic),” the journalist has written in his letter.
He urged the Chief Justice to direct officials of state police and intelligence to ‘stop forthwith any enquiry from either on him or from his kith and kin.’
Speaking to TNM, Teenmaar Mallanna said, "For the last few days, either they're constantly after me or people who are close to me. The police officials are even summoning my relatives to police stations to create panic."
Mallanna further added, "Recently, through my YouTube channel Q News, we have exposed a sexual harassment episode by local TRS leaders in Siricilla constituency. Since this happened in the constituency of K Chandrasekhar Rao’s son and minister KT Rama Rao, they're trying to silence me. They are trying to create trouble by showing that people are against me.”
He added that police have questioned him and his relatives over the claim that Mallanna is facing a threat to his life.
“But I never approached the police in that regard, I suspect this is to silence me and create trouble to me,” he says.
In October 2019, ahead of the Huzurnagar bye-election, Mallanna had reached out to the High Court alleging that police of Mallelacheruvu in Suryapet district were obstructing his cadre from election campaigning. The High Court had then passed orders directing the district Superintendent of Police (SP) to not to obstruct him from campaigning.