Hyderabad: Telugu journalists Revathi Pogadadanda and Thanvi Yadav were arrested by Hyderabad’s cybercrime police on Wednesday (March 12). They were booked under section 67 of the IT Act, along with 353(2) (false statement) and 352 (punishment for assault) of the BNS.
The case was filed against them following a complaint by Congress’ social media state secretary, who accused the duo of sharing a clip of a farmer who is seen hurling abuses against chief minister A. Revanth Reddy. In the video, the farmer can be seen hurling abuses at Reddy, his mother and the Telangana Congress, bemoaning the alleged lack of welfare.
The police have seized two laptops and a microphone from the journalists.
In its press statement, the police cautioned that spreading “false or defamatory” content against any person, including public officials, may attract legal action.
“If anyone creates, shares, endorses or amplifies content intended to incite unrest or disrupt public order can be legally prosecuted. Uploading and disseminating offensive, abusive, or false information through electronic media is punishable under the Information Technology (IT) Act. Victims of social media trolling can get immediate help by approaching the local police or cyber cell and by dialing 1930 or visit cybercrime.gov.in,” the statement read.
Before her arrest, Pogadadanda released a video statement, stating that the Telangana chief minister wants to “silence her.”
The police’s action to publish their photos in the statement like “criminals” has drawn flak.
Condemning the incident, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) wondered whether the state is under emergency. “The raid on the house at 5 am and the illegal arrest of journalist Revathi is a testament to the ongoing emergency-style rule in the state.”
“The arrest of journalists who posted a video of a farmer expressing the hardships he faces under the Congress government is the culmination of this government’s restrictive rule,” KTR added.
In a subsequent post on X, KTR while tagging Rahul Gandhi wrote, “Arresting two women journalists in the wee hours of the morning!! What is their crime? Giving voice to the public opinion on incompetent & corrupt Congress Govt. Last I checked, the Constitution of India that you hold regularly, upholds Freedom of Speech Mr. Gandhi.”
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Pogadadanda was arrested under the previous BRS regime too for conducting a debate on entry of women in Sabarimala.
The Editors Guild of India (EGI) has condemned the action of the Hyderabad police.
“The Editors Guild of India expresses grave concern over reports of the arrest of Hyderabad-based journalist Ms. Revathi Pogadadanda by the city’s cybercrime police early on Wednesday morning. The Guild also referred to reports that “the video contained allegedly derogatory language and failed to meet ethical journalistic standards,” the EGI mentioned.
Pogadadanda was reportedly taken from her home, along with her husband, at the crack of dawn. It is believed that this action followed the publication of a video on her YouTube channel, in which a farmer criticised Reddy.
Some reports also suggest that the video allegedly contained derogatory language and failed to meet ethical journalistic standards.
Without commenting on the content of the video, the guild has urged the Telangana government to ensure that any action taken against journalist follows due process and upholds the principles of free expression and justice.
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The arrest of a journalist – particularly in a pre-dawn operation – raises serious concerns about the use of police force in such matters.
The guild has called upon the Telangana government to safeguard Pogadadanda’s rights and personal safety. At the same time, it has reminded journalists of the importance of fairness and responsibility in their reportage, ensuring that news is presented accurately and without malice. “A free and responsible press is essential to a vibrant democracy.”
This article was originally published on The News Minute. It is slightly edited to suit The Wire’s editorial style.
