Journalists who covered a protest march led by members of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) against a circle inspector of police have been charged with non bailable offences in Andhra Pradesh’s Sri Sathya Sai district. The incidents that led to the cases took place on February 25 in Kadiri, a town in Sri Sathya Sai. The town Circle Inspector (CI) Tummashetti Madhu allegedly verbally abused a woman TDP councillor at the Sri Kadiri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple. She had questioned CI Madhu and revenue officials about their move to evict shopkeepers near the temple premise ahead of the festival in March. Following this, Telugu Mahila, TDP’s women’s wing, took out a 50-women march to the CI’s house. It was the journalists who had arrived to cover this protest march that found themselves charged with offences under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Journalists and Opposition leaders were also beaten with lathis at the protest march.
Following the incident, Telugu Mahila leaders wrote to the National Commission for Women (NCW), urging it to look into the alleged sexism and harassment by Madhu and take appropriate action. Parveen Babi, former member of the state’s Women’s Commission and Telugu Mahila leader from Kadiri, told TNM that she called a press conference on the same day to condemn the CI's alleged use of abusive language against the woman TDP councillor.
Parveen Babi narrated the incidents that unfolded on February 25, “The shopkeepers objected to the orders to remove the encroachments at the temple premises. Our councillor was also present. When she spoke to the CI regarding the same, he used vulgar language at her. It has been captured on video.” The same day, Telugu Mahila marched towards the CI’s house at NGO Colony in Kadiri town. “CI Madhu, along with two male constables carrying lathis, arrived even before we reached his house. Women dispersed after he hit them. I saw some of the journalists also being hit,” she said. Opposition parties took to the streets in Kadiri at 8.30 pm on the same day and raised slogans demanding justice. Videos that circulated in the media showed several police officers charging at men on the street even as Madhu, jumping atop a van's bonnet, dared the crowd to approach him.
A reporter who has been booked by the police told TNM that Madhu was furious that the visuals were caught on camera. “Our phones were grabbed by the police,” he alleged, adding that the CI has not been on good terms with the media. Madhu had previously faced criticism for inappropriate behaviour towards women leaders of the Opposition. In September 2022, he was captured on camera speaking rudely to Parveen Babi when she confronted Madhu about his behaviour towards a female councillor who questioned a ruling party MLA over an issue in her ward.
Following the incident, Sri Sathya Sai Superintendent of Police Rahul Dev Singh addressed the media and said, “Unparliamentary words were exchanged. The aggrieved party, instead of reaching out to higher officials, blocked the road and pelted stones. So far, we have received three complaints and have filed a First Information Report (FIR). We will take necessary action.”
Alleging that press freedom is restricted in the area, journalist unions in the state condemned the police for “filing charges against journalists who had only gone to work.” Andhra Pradesh Working Journalist Federation (APWJF) Sri Sathya Sai district president A Shafiullah and general secretary R Ramanjinayu and Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) general secretary IV Subbarao issued a statement condemning the cases against the six reporters who had merely gone to cover the incident. Shafiullah told TNM, “We spoke to the Anantapur (Sri Sathya Sai district) Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) M Ravi Prakash and demanded that the cases against the journalists be withdrawn and the CI be held accountable for his actions.”
However, after they spoke with the DIG, the reporters were slapped with yet another FIR on February 27. The new FIR was filed against thirty persons that included journalists and TDP supporters, based on a complaint by YSRCP leader Picchili Sankaraiah. He alleged that the journalists and TDP workers used abusive language and casteist slurs at him and warned him against filing a police complaint. The reporters were charged with provisions under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 327 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the IPC.
Speaking to TNM, DIG Ravi Prakash said, “We filed the FIRs based on the complaints that we received. Investigation is underway and we will look into whether there was any provocation by the journalists as alleged." However, police sources said though a case was registered, it was unlikely to have a legal standing. He added that a case has been registered against CI Madhu and that investigation is underway. “The CI has also filed a counter complaint against the mob for trespassing into his house and for attacking him. We will look into both complaints and act accordingly,” the DIG said.