The arrest of three journalists from a prominent Telugu news channel on 14 January exposes the entanglement of media houses with those in power, often as willing partners in such games and, at times inevitably, as victims of the same dirty tricks.
Published Jan 15, 2026 | 4:06 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 15, 2026 | 4:06 PM
Most ministers seem to be up to something in a bid to stay afloat, with rivals constantly trying to pull them down.
Synopsis: The allegation against the minister was first made in October last year, in passing, in a weekly column by V Radhakrishna, proprietor of the Andhra Jyothi daily. What NTV did three months later was merely an expanded version of the same allegation. Many within the ruling party believed that the channel, seen as pro-government, would not have dared air the story without information being leaked by people at the highest level. What, then, changed within a matter of days that journalists were made scapegoats?
The scurrilous story aired by a leading Telugu television channel against an unnamed minister and a serving woman IAS officer, and the subsequent arrest of three journalists from the same media house, is only what is visible on the surface. Beneath it lie the murky goings-on within the ruling Congress in Telangana and power games that are pushing beyond all acceptable limits.
At another level, the episode exposes the entanglement of media houses with those in power, often as willing partners in these games and, at times, inevitably, as victims of the same dirty tricks.
Arrest of the journalists on 14 January followed a story aired by the channel NTV under its “off the record” segment. The report alleged that a minister was summoning an IAS officer to his private residence after office hours on the pretext of official discussions, insinuating a scandal.
That this cannot be called journalism by any yardstick is hardly even open to debate.
The minister concerned soon held a press conference, turned emotional, condemned the baseless allegations, and went so far as to say he would rather be given poison than endure such character assassination. Shortly thereafter, the IAS Officers Association stepped in, lodging a formal complaint against the channel.
Several serious questions arise from this episode, quite apart from earlier developments that point to a deeper rift within the Cabinet.
Notably, the allegation against the minister was first made in October last year, in passing, in a weekly column by V Radhakrishna, proprietor of the Andhra Jyothi daily.
The column discussed how Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had taken his ministers to task over their performance. The Opposition party, the Bharat Rashtra Samiti, even filed a formal complaint with the State Women’s Commission, demanding an inquiry. Nothing came of it.
Radhakrishna is regarded as being close to Revanth. The Chief Minister personally visited his home to wish him on New Year’s Day, and many believed Radhakrishna would not have levelled such a serious charge without being sure of his facts.
The IAS Officers Association did not take offence then. Perhaps those heading it did not have the nerve to lodge a complaint against a friend of the Chief Minister.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar, who is now waxing eloquent on the duty of the police to protect the dignity of women, was not offended at the time.
What NTV did three months later was merely an expanded version of the same allegation. As in the case of Andhra Jyothi, many within the ruling party believed that the channel, seen as pro-government, would not have dared air the story without information being leaked by people at the highest level.
What, then, changed within a matter of days that journalists were made scapegoats? Was it because the move backfired and embarrassed the government? Or did IAS officers bring pressure to bear for action against the channel?
Interestingly, speculation has been rife in recent weeks that the minister would be dropped from the Cabinet to make way for his brother, also a Congress MLA. But why defame him to ease him out when it could have been done in the normal course?
Two of the arrested journalists are said to have a direct contact with the Chief Minister, or at least that is what they claim.
More tellingly, for several hours after the arrests, the channel did not even run a scroll on the matter. If the arrests took place in the wee hours, it was only by the afternoon that the channel began reporting the events as they unfolded.
Curiously, the channel’s owner, Narendra Chowdhary, is considered close to Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Mallu Vikramarka. Both hail from Khammam district. Wheels within wheels.
Even before this episode, a lesser-known channel ran a story alleging that another minister was harassing a woman journalist and seeking her out. The report went viral on social media, yet no one took offence.
This minister’s name, too, occasionally figures among those said to be on the chopping block. The pattern is hard to miss.
Yet another minister was targeted by linking an OSD in his ministry to the leak of a government order even before it was issued. This related to the recently announced policy on the conversion of industrial land into residential or commercial use. A vigilance report is said to have named the OSD in one of the departments under the minister, along with a PRO in the Chief Minister’s Office.
The affected ministers are privately remarking that they are being targeted through character assassination or otherwise, from forces within the ruling party, not outside. Different media outlets are being used for this purpose.
Even as these murky, behind-the-scenes manoeuvres were playing out, Bhatti Mallu Vikramarka, who holds the Energy portfolio, wrote a single-page printed letter distributed to beneficiaries of free electricity—those consuming under 200 units—on the occasion of Sankranthi. Notably, it makes no mention of the chief minister and appears to be part of his own image-management exercise.
Most ministers seem to be up to something in a bid to stay afloat, with rivals constantly trying to pull them down.
Political machinations apart, the overzealous conduct of the Hyderabad Police has become a matter of debate. Under which section of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita were they hiding when a minister, sworn in under the Constitution, made highly derogatory comments against former minister KT Rama Rao, actor Nagarjuna and their respective families some months ago?
Protecting the dignity of women perhaps entered the police lexicon only later.
Where were they when another channel aired a story linking KTR with several women? And what are they doing now, when Telugu actor Anasuya and singer Chinmayi are being trolled in the most objectionable manner for taking a stand on women’s rights?
Is no one’s dignity offended?
Within hours of the Police Commissioner declaring that everyone must cooperate with investigations and that the police need not follow such basic procedures as issuing a notice, the local magistrate refused to remand the journalists and released them on bail.
The reason was simple: the police had not named who was offended by the NTV story, and there was no complaint or statement from anyone, neither the minister nor the IAS officer.
On whose behalf, then, did the police act, and why? The city police would do well to reread the law before preaching it to others.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
