SIT Arrests Three Journalists in Woman Officer Case
Sajjanar said other suspects had switched off their mobile phones, allegedly believing that travelling abroad, including to Bangkok, would help them evade the law.
Hyderabad: A Special Investigating Team (SIT) on Wednesday arrested three journalists from Telugu news channel NTV at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, while they were allegedly attempting to flee the country.
Speaking to media persons later, Hyderabad city police commissioner V.C. Sajjanar said the journalists were arrested in connection with a case relating to the telecast of news stories about a woman IAS officer without any supporting evidence.
“They were detained when they tried to leave the country overnight instead of cooperating with the investigation,” the commissioner said.
He said the SIT was questioning the three journalists to find out the names of persons who instructed them to telecast such a story and what evidence was relied upon.
The police identified the three arrested reporters as Dontu Ramesh, P. Chary and Sudheer. However, Chary was reportedly released after the questioning.
Replying to a question, Sajjanar said there was no need for the SIT to issue notices, as the probe was ordered by senior officials. “If they have authentic information and evidence, why should they be afraid of the investigation?” he asked, reiterating, “Why are they running away if they are being called for inquiry?”
“If there is nothing wrong, why are they running away?” the commissioner asked pointedly.
Sajjanar said other suspects had switched off their mobile phones, allegedly believing that travelling abroad, including to Bangkok, would help them evade the law.
If those summoned by the SIT failed to appear or did not cooperate with the investigation, Sajjanar said action would be taken against them in accordance with the law.
While criticism and public scrutiny were part of public life, Sajjanar said maligning women through words, television stories or social media amounted to cruelty, not criticism.
“Targeting any woman — be a public servant, a professional in the private sector, or a homemaker — is unacceptable and must be condemned without hesitation,” he said. The commissioner added that women today were leading from the front in administration, policing, governance, science, public life and the media.
“Most importantly, they also lead at home, shouldering responsibilities that often go unseen, while balancing work, family and society’s expectations,” he said.
He cautioned that attacking a woman’s character was an attack on the very progress society claims to value, recalling the ancient belief that divinity resides where women are respected.
The commissioner described the recent deliberate targeting of women officers through character attacks as deeply disturbing, personal and damaging. “A society that fails to respect its women, especially those who lead from the front, undermines its own future,” he warned.
The message, he said, must be unequivocal: the future is female, and it will not tolerate humiliation, prejudice or character assassination.
