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The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have arrested two journalists in connection with an alleged defamatory video targeting Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. The arrested individuals have been identified as Pogadadanda Revathi (44), the managing director of online Telugu news channel Pulse News (Purple Crow Media Inc.), and Bandi Sandhya alias Thanvi Yadav (25), a reporter with the same digital platform.
According to the police, the arrests were made based on a complaint filed by a businessman who also serves as the State Secretary of the Congress Social Media Cell. The complainant claimed that a video, posted on the social media platform X by the handle @NippuKodi, contained offensive remarks against CM Revanth Reddy. The video, purportedly an interview conducted by Pulse TV, was alleged to be deliberately created and circulated to malign the Chief Minister’s image and provoke social unrest.
Police seized electronic devices
Following an investigation, authorities linked the video to Revathi and Sandhya, leading to their arrests. Police also seized multiple electronic devices, including two laptops, hard disks, seven CPUs, a Pulse Media microphone logo, and a wireless router, as part of the probe. Investigators are now looking into the role of the @NippuKodi account in spreading the content.
Reacting to her arrest, Revathi, in a video posted on X, alleged that police arrived at her residence in the early hours and that she feared imminent detention. She claimed that she was being targeted for questioning the government and Chief Minister Reddy.
The arrests have sparked a political controversy, with the opposition criticizing the Congress-led government for suppressing press freedom. BRS working president and former Telangana minister KT Rama Rao (KTR) took to social media to condemn the FIR and arrests, tagging Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. In a post on X, KTR wrote, “Is this your Mohabbat ki dukaan? Last I checked, the Constitution of India that you hold regularly, upholds Freedom of Speech Mr. Gandhi.”
The case has reignited debates over press freedom and political interference in journalism in Telangana. Meanwhile, the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police continue their investigation into the matter.
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