Condemning the attack against Tv9 Telugu reporter Muppidi Ranjith Kumar by actor Mohan Babu, several journalists on Wednesday, December 11, protested outside the Film Chamber of Commerce in Film Nagar, Hyderabad. The agitating journalists sought strict action against Mohan Babu for assaulting the journalist, leading to injuries. They also demanded the intervention of the Telangana government, seeking to bring in laws which would safeguard journalists.
Reporter Ranjith Kumar suffered a fracture following an assault by actor Mohan Babu a day earlier, while covering the property dispute drama between the actor and his younger son Manchu Manoj. When Ranjith sought a response from Mohan Babu regarding the ongoing feud, the agitated actor pulled his microphone and hit him on the head. According to Tv9, their journalist has suffered three fractures on the zygomatic bone. He is undergoing surgery.
Protesting the attack against the journalist, president of Telangana Union of Working Journalists and former Press Academy chairman Allam Narayana said, “Mohan Babu should profusely apologise to the journalists. The government should also refrain from playing the role of a spectator and instead take proactive steps. The government should not underplay the issue. This is a terror unleashed upon a journalist doing his duty. The visuals show that Mohan Babu intended to harm the journalist.” He rejected the apology offered by Mohan Babu’s son Manchu Vishnu, who is also the president of Movie Artists’ Association (MAA). Vishnu while terming the incident as “unfortunate” seemingly justified the attack saying that it was “unintentional.”
“These cinema people live in a hallucination that there will not be any consequences to real their actions. This is not a cinema where you can attack people and get away. We have been demanding for laws at both the State and Union government levels to bring in laws which would protect journalists. This incident has reminded the necessity for such laws,” said senior journalist Devulapalli Amar.
An FIR has been filed against Mohan Babu. The senior actor has been booked under various sections including 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 351 (criminal intimidation) and 329 (criminal trespass) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Meanwhile, Mohan Babu has been admitted to a private hospital following complaints of diffuse body pain, anxiety and a history of loss of consciousness, the hospital said in a press statement.
Addressing the media from the hospital, Mohan Babu’s son Manchu Vishnu claimed that the attack happened “in the heat of a moment.” “It was not intentional. He did not deliberately try to attack the journalist. The visuals show that the people trespassed into the house by breaking open the gate. As a son I consider his response to be mild,” he said referring to his half-brother Manchu Manoj’s actions, who barged into Mohan Babu’s residence along with the media persons.
Vishnu and Manoj are engaged in a property dispute. According to Mohan Babu, Manoj and his wife Monika were intending to illegally occupy the farmhouse. However, Manoj claims that the conflict with his brother Vishnu escalated after his public support to Mohan Babu University students and local business who are allegedly being exploited by Vishnu and his associate Vinay Maheshwari.
