A local court in Mangalagiri in Guntur district on Tuesday remanded senior journalist and news anchor of Sakshi television news channel Kommineni Srinivasa Rao to 14-day judicial custody in connection with the controversial debate in the channel, in which a guest made derogatory comments against women of Amaravati capital region.
However, the judicial magistrate questioned the propriety of booking Kommineni under SC/ST Atrocities (prevention) Act, which is no way relevant to the present case.
Referring to the FIR filed against Kommineni, the judge asked how the SC/ST Act is applicable in this case. He pointing out that similar sections had been applied and questioned even earlier.
The judge also questioned the propriety of invoking Section 356(2) (defamation) of the BNS, in this context.
The judge issued a memo to the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and Superintendent of Police (SP) seeking their explanation as to what basis they had included these sections in the case.
Earlier, the police produced Kommineni in the court after conducting due medical examination. Arguments were presented by both sides.
Following the hearing, the court sent him to 14-day judicial custody, after which police began proceedings to transfer him to Guntur district jail.
Numerous police complaints were lodged across the state. One such complaint was filed at Thullur Police Station by Kambhampati Sirisha, a woman leader from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
Based on her complaint, Kommineni was arrested from his residence in Hyderabad on Monday morning. He was then taken to Guntur, and interrogated overnight at the Nallapadu Police Station.
