"How can case be against him when someone else made the statement?" the Supreme Court bench asked the State of Andhra Pradesh.
Published Jun 13, 2025 | 1:46 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 13, 2025 | 1:55 PM
Supreme Court (iStock)
Synopsis: The Supreme Court granted bail to journalist Kommineni Srinivas Rao, arrested over remarks made by a panellist on his TV show about Amaravati women. The court noted he didn’t make the statement himself and upheld journalistic freedom. Protests erupted across Andhra Pradesh, and tensions rose after a fire near Sakshi’s office, with political parties blaming each other.
The Supreme Court on Friday, 13 June, granted bail to journalist Kommineni Srinivas Rao, who was arrested by the Andhra Pradesh police over offensive remarks against Amaravati women made by a panellist in a show hosted by him.
A bench comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Manmohan passed the order in a writ petition filed by the journalist challenging his arrest and remand.
“How can a case be against him when someone else made the statement?” the Supreme Court bench asked the State of Andhra Pradesh.
According to Live Law, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who was appearing for Andhra Pradesh, answering the bench’s question, said, “He was goading and abetting the man who was making that statement. He was laughing.”
However, Justice Manmohan noted, “When someone makes an outrageous statement, we laugh it off. They can’t be termed co-conspirators.”
“Everyday this is happening!” Justice Mishra also added.
The Supreme Court granting the bail, noted in its order: “Considering that the petitioner himself has not made any such statement and his journalistic participation in a live TV show deserves to be protected so that the freedom of speech is also protected in the process, we direct that the petitioner shall be released in relation to the FIR…subject to the conditions to be imposed by the trial court.”
Srinivas Rao was arrested on 9 June from his residence in Hyderabad’s Journalists Colony. He was subsequently produced before a court in Mangalagiri, which remanded him to 14 days of judicial custody.
The case stems from a debate aired on Sakshi TV a few days ago, during which journalist Krishnam Raju, named as Accused No. 1 (A1), described Amaravati as a “capital of sex workers” rather than a “capital of Gods,” as claimed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
Moderating the debate, Srinivas Rao allegedly supported Raju’s remarks by cautioning him about potential backlash, which police claim made him an accomplice since he did not, per se, condemn the comments. The Sakshi channel management is listed as Accused No. 3 (A3) in the First Information Report (FIR).
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, VVR Krishnam Raju, the prime accused (A1), was arrested in Vizianagaram.
Since the broadcast of the contentious episode, women’s groups and civil society organisations in Amaravati and other parts of the state have been staging relentless protests, holding demonstrations, and organising dharnas, demanding stringent action not only against the two journalists but also against the management of Sakshi TV.
Protestors have also been staging sit-ins outside Sakshi TV offices and burning copies of the newspaper in various districts.
In a separate incident in Eluru, furniture stored in a godown beneath Sakshi Newspaper’s regional office mysteriously caught fire, further intensifying tensions. The ruling YSRCP and opposition TDP have traded accusations over the incident, each blaming the other for the arson.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
