Date:26/06/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/26/stories/2008062660881000.htm

Andhra Pradesh

A.P. media up in arms against Editor’s arrest

HYDERABAD: Media and major political parties were up in arms throughout Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday to protest against the arrest of the Editor of Andhra Jyothi, K. Srinivas, along with two reporters of the daily under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Mr. Srinivas and the two journalists were produced before the VI Metropolitan Magistrate well past Tuesday midnight and remanded to judicial custody for 14 days. They were shifted to the Chanchalguda Central Prison on Wednesday morning after detention overnight in the Banjara Hills police station.

The Andhra Jyothi management moved a bail petition in the Andhra Pradesh High Court and the court posted the matter for Thursday. The government, which was widely criticised for the arrests, refused to intervene in the matter, barring an assurance by Home Minister K. Jana Reddy not to oppose their bail petition.

Mr. Jana Reddy faced the brunt of the journalists’ protest when reporters remained standing at his press conference and staged a walkout after raising slogans against the “efforts to stifle the voice of the press.” Mr. Jana Reddy was grilled for his response to the open threats held out by Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi leader Manda Krishna to attack Andhra Jyothi’s offices. The Home Minister, however, defended the action claiming “arrests under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act can be made at anytime.”