Telugu actor Mohan Babu has been booked for assaulting a TV9 Telugu reporter during a property dispute coverage, leaving the journalist hopitalised with multiple fractures. Journalist Ranjith Kumar was attacked by the actor while he was covering the ongoing property dispute between Mohan and his son Manchu Manoj. Following the attack on Tuesday, December 10, Ranjith has been admitted to the Shamshabad hospital and has sustained three fractures in his zygomatic bone.
A video of Mohan Babu abusing and attacking the reporter’s face with a mic and Ranjith subsequently holding his left ear in pain has gone viral on social media. Following the attack, an FIR was registered by the Pahadishareef police station based on Ranjith’s complaint under Section 118(1) (Voluntarily causing hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The attack occurred when Manoj broke the gate of the family house in Jalpally and barged in after he was denied entry by Mohan Babu, who is also a former MP.
“While they were performing their journalistic duties, Mohan Babu confronted them aggressively, intentionally grabbed the mike (made of steel pipe and metal logo) and attacked them,” the FIR read.
Journalists in Hyderabad have called for a protest on Wednesday, December 11 condemning the attack on Ranjith. “Attacking the press demonstrates a lack of respect for this vital institution and reflects a deeply troubling state of mind,” a condemnation from the Delhi Telugu Journalists Association (DTJA) read.
In the last couple of days, Telugu media has been focusing on the property dispute which has broken out between members of the Manchu family. Mohan Babu on December 8 reached out to the police, seeking protection over the fear of attacks on him and has filed a police complaint against his son, Manoj and his daughter-in-law, Monica for an alleged attempt to harm him and seize his Jalpally Farmhouse. A counter complaint was filed by Manoj for an attack on him. Mohan Babu’s eldest son and Manoj’s half brother Manchu Vishnu has arrived in India from Dubai after a heated series of events in the family.
The issue further escalated when visuals of Manoj emerging from the family house in torn clothes and claiming that he was beaten up went viral on Monday, December 9.
The clashes in the Manchu family have made the news multiple times in the last two years. The clashes between the two brothers is said to have existed since long. The disputes are apparently related to the Sri Vidyanikethan Schools in Tirupati which is the main income of the family. It is also said that Mohan Babu is biased towards the eldest son, Manchu Vishnu and that Manoj has always faced discrimination for being the son of Mohan Babu’s second wife.