Journalists protest TV5 editors' arrest

Journalists in Andhra Pradesh held rallies across the state on Saturday to protest the arrest of Bramhananda Reddy, executive editor, and P Venkat Krishna, input editor, of Telugu news channel, TV5.

The two were arrested last night for airing stories quoting a website report that there could be a “conspiracy” behind the death of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy in a chopper crash.

The Hyderabad police also booked cases against NTV and Sakshi TV news channels for broadcasting similar stories, following which irate mobs attacked Reliance Retail stores in the state.

Suo motu cases were booked against TV5, Sakshi TV and NTV at city police stations. Police also cracked down on Sakshi’s office, seizing hard disks and CDs.

Indian Journalists Union (IJU) Secretary-General Srinivas Reddy and Andhra Pradesh Press Academy Chairman D Amar demanded the arrested journalists be released immediately. Reddy said the journalists’ agitation would be intensified if they were not released.