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Editor and two reporters of Telugu daily granted bail
The editor and two reporters of a Telugu daily arrested for denigrating an effigy symbolising a Dalit leader, were granted bail by a court here on Russia.
- IANS
- Published: 00:07 June 27, 2008
- Image Credit: AP
- Activists of various political parties rally in support of the Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists following the arrest of the editor and two reporters of a vernacular daily in Hyderabad on Thursday.
Hyderabad: The editor and two reporters of a Telugu daily arrested for denigrating an effigy symbolising a Dalit leader, were granted bail by a court here on Russia.
The journalists will, however, only be released today as the Chanchalguda Central Jail authorities did not receive the court orders by 5.30 pm.
The court granted unconditional bail to K. Srinivas, editor of Andhra Jyoti. Reporters Vamshi Krishna and T. Srinivas were granted conditional bail.
The court directed the reporters to appear before Jubilee Hills police station once every week. The Andhra Pradesh government, which had to face the ire of the opposition and the journalistic community over the arrests, did not oppose the bail petition.
The three journalists were taken into custody at their office on Tuesday night under the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. They were charged with beating an effigy symbolising a Dalit leader with footwear during a rally to denounce an attack by a Dalit organisation on their office on May 24.
A magistrate had on Tuesday night remanded the editor and the two reporters to judicial custody till July 8.
Manda Krishna Madiga, the leader of the Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS), which is spearheading a campaign for the classification of Scheduled Caste reservations, had lodged a complaint with the police about the dishonour meted out to his effigy.
Derogatory article
MRPS activists had turned on the Telugu daily's office here following the publication of an article that described backward class leaders as "saleable commodities".
The arrests evoked strong protests from opposition parties and journalist unions, who alleged that the government was trying to stifle the voice of the press. For the second consecutive day, journalists took out rallies in different parts of the state.
The Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) is to announce its future course of action today.
Andhra Jyoti has been known for carrying reports critical of the Congress government.
Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy said in New Delhi yesterday that he had no role in the arrests.
He issued the clarification before eminent journalist Kuldip Nayar, who called on him to demand the immediate release of the arrested journalists.
Meanwhile, the state has turned down Krishna Madiga's demand for the arrest of the newspaper's managing director V. Radhakrishna after the Dalit leader warned that failure to take action against him could create law and order problems.
Home Minister K. Jana Reddy yesterday ruled out action against Radhakrishna citing a lack of evidence against him.
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