Published Oct 23, 2026 | 4:21 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 23, 2026 | 4:21 PM
Journalist Shankar Goud remanded to 14 days' judicial custody. (Sreengrab)
Journalist Shankar Goud of YouTube channel News Line Telugu, on Friday, 23 October, has been remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody by Secunderabad court.
Shankar was arrested from his home on Thursday, 22 October, following a complaint from the management of Medicover Hospitals. He was taken to Gandhi hospital for medical tests and was held at the Gopalpuram police station overnight.
The police produced him at the City Civil & Criminal court in Secunderabad on Friday. The court has granted 14 day judicial custody and Shankar is being moved to Chanchalguda Central Jail.
Shankar told the media after the hearing that Section 119(1) of BNS was later added to the existing charges against him, although it was not present in the FIR.
“This is a fabricated case. Revanth Reddy is behind this arrest. They altered the charges to add 119(1), after they arrested me,” he said.
He was earlier booked under Sections 126(2), 115(2), 351(2), 329, 324 and 352, read with Section 3(5) of BNS, which are bailable and carry punishment of less than 7 years.
Section 119(1) pertains to voluntarily causing hurt for the purpose of extortion or to constrain someone to do an illegal act or facilitate commission of an offence. This is a non-bailable section and carries imprisonment of up to 10 years.
Goud has been a vocal critic of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and the Congress government. He had also alleged that the chief minister and his family had business partners associated with Medicover.
Medicover Hospitals has been under increased scrutiny following a series of deaths. The family of a 28-year-old advocate who died at the hospital on 13 October alleged medical negligence, prompting lawyers to protest outside the premises.
On 16 October, the family of two-year-old Gunashree, who died at the hospital, staged a sit-down protest on the premises. Police detained one of the family members.
The hospital has alleged that about 50 people had been gathering on its premises since 4 October. It accuses them of forcibly entering the premises on 14 and 16 October, raising slogans and making “false and baseless” allegations against doctors in front of patients.
According to the complaint, the accused and their supporters blocked entrances, stopped ambulances carrying critically ill patients, assaulted five staff members, including women security guards, and damaged a gate, walls and wheelchairs.
The hospital says it has CCTV footage and recordings made by bystanders. It has also reserved the right to pursue separate legal remedies over what it describes as reputational harm.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Sreshta Ladegaam)
