Published Oct 09, 2026 | 8:43 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 09, 2026 | 9:12 AM
Journalist Jalli Rekha with her 6-month-old daughter at the Central Crimes Station
Synopsis: Telangana journalist Jalli Rekha accused the police of unfair, inhumane treatment after they called her in for questioning in a case involving allegations against Nymisha Reddy, daughter of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. Rekha alleged she was made to wait for hours with an infant, denied space to feed the baby, and threatened to submit her phone.
A six-month-old baby girl allegedly had to spend six hours at a Telangana police station on 7 October for a “crime” her mother had committed.
The crime was posting an Instagram reel about Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s daughter, Naimisha Reddy, Jalli Rekha, the mother, later said.
Police summoned Rekha to the Central Crimes Station in Basheerbagh after the post was published and shared by many, including BRS leader Manne Krishank. The reel — now taken down — was reportedly on Naimisha’s properties and farm companies.
Rekha’s media channel — MR Media Telangana — was named an accused, along with Krishank and unspecified others.
Police registered an FIR under sections 353(2) and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on 5 October, on a complaint by Mettu Sai Kumar, chairman of the TPCC Fisherman Congress Committee.
The complaint alleged that the two main accused and several others had circulated claims about Naimisha’s investments and business dealings. It cited the Instagram reel and sought action against those responsible if the claims were found to be false, defamatory or unsupported by evidence.
The attached reel was posted on MR Media Telangana’s Instagram channel and has since been taken down.
Krishank was arrested on Tuesday, 6 October, and granted bail by a Secunderabad magistrate the same day. The Telangana High Court also directed the Central Crime Station (CCS) not to take coercive steps against him. It asked police to serve him a notice under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and to follow the Supreme Court’s Arnesh Kumar guidelines.
Rekha said she assumed that was the end of it. “Once Krishank garu got relief from the court, I thought there would be no problem,” she told South First.
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Four policemen visited her residence around 11.30 pm on 6 October to serve her a notice, Rekha said.
The Insta reel raised questions over Naimisha Reddy’s investments and business. (Facebook)
“They knocked on our doors for about 15 minutes until we opened. No women personnel accompanied them. They gave me the notice and asked me to appear at 11:30 am the next day for questioning,” she said.
Rekha said she told the officers her six-month-old had a fever after a vaccination and asked for time. She was allegedly told that appearing was compulsory.
She reached the Central Crimes station in Basheerbagh around 3:30 pm on 7 October. The station had no facility for feeding an infant, though she had to feed her baby every few hours, Rekha said.
Rekha said she was asked to feed the child in the investigation room. Later, she was told to feed in the hall where officers frequented. A woman constable told her to cover herself and feed in a corner.
“They said I could not go to the washroom without being accompanied by a woman constable. Where could I possibly go from inside a police station?” she asked.
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Rekha alleged that police said she would be allowed to leave if her phone was handed over to them. She was reportedly threatened that she would be arrested and remanded if she failed to submit her phone.
She told them she had not brought it and saw no reason to hand it over. She was also asked for her email IDs and login details, and told them she did not remember them.
The police allegedly told her they needed the phone to check whether there were more videos related to the issue and to delete them.
She said the officers also accused her of fighting “like on the street” on social media, and of enjoying the backing of a particular party. They told her they would use her as a pawn and discard her later, and they questioned her about her income sources, Rekha said.
“A higher official said they could have dragged me to the station at night if they wanted to but didn’t do so because I had an infant to take care of. When I voiced my discomfort about being there for hours with a six month old, they asked me to think about what ‘they’ were going through when allegations were made against their daughter,” she alleged.
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Rekha, who described herself as an independent journalist, said she had only asked questions, and doing her job didn’t warrant unjust treatment.
“All I did was ask questions just like other journalists. Those facing allegations are answerable to the public. Instead, I am being subjected to inhumane and unfair treatment,” she said.
“It did not feel like it was only about one video or this particular case. It felt like an attempt to silence anyone who asks questions,” Rekha added.
Her advocate, Laxman, argued with the police that they could not demand electronic devices without notice. Rekha said she was allowed to leave only at 9 pm, after almost 6 hours at the station with her infant.
A video of Rekha with her infant at the police station has since been shared widely on social media platforms, drawing heavy criticism against the state government and Hyderabad police.
BRSLP deputy floor leader T Harish Rao condemned the incident in an X post on Thursday, 15 October. “It is utterly deplorable that journalist Rekha, a mother to a six-month-old infant, was interrogated for 9 hours without even being allowed to feed her baby. Actions like this are an attack on press freedom and women’s rights, and cannot be tolerated. The Congress government and Telangana DGP must provide an immediate response on this incident. The illegal case filed against journalist Rekha must be withdrawn at once [sic].”
ఆరు నెలల పసిబిడ్డకు తల్లైన జర్నలిస్టు రేఖ గారిని 9 గంటలపాటు విచారించి, బిడ్డకు పాలిచ్చేందుకు కూడా అనుమతించకపోవడం అత్యంత దారుణం.
పత్రికా స్వేచ్ఛను, మహిళల హక్కులను కాలరాసే ఇలాంటి చర్యలను సహించేది లేదు.
ఈ ఘటనపై కాంగ్రెస్ ప్రభుత్వం, @TelanganaDGP గారు తక్షణమే సమాధానం చెప్పాలి.
జర్నలిస్ట్ రేఖపై పెట్టిన అక్రమ కేసును వెంటనే వెనక్కి తీసుకోవాలి.
— Harish Rao Thanneeru (@BRSHarish) October 8, 2026
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
