New Delhi: The Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI) has condemned the arrest of journalist Revathi Pogadadanda by the Hyderabad police, calling it a “clear case of intimidation of journalists”.Pogadadanda, formerly the chief executive officer of Telugu media outlet Mojo TV, was arrested on Friday under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. She is one of four persons accused by a guest invited to a debate programme aired by the channel on the Sabiramala issue in January this year.“The singling out of Revathi for arrest by Telangana police smacks of political vendetta and an assault on freedom of speech of journalists, and their right to defend the independence of media,” the statement read.Also Read: Journalist Revathi Pogadadanda Detained by Hyderabad Police, Claims HarassmentThe journalists said the police chose to arrest Revathi on a Friday, leaving her no possibility of securing bail till Monday. She has been remanded to 14 days judicial custody. “Such a detention is a blatant excess when Revathi as a journalist has been in Hyderabad and was not posing either the threat of tampering with evidence or absconding. This is a clear case of intimidation of journalists,” NWMI’s Hyderabad chapter said.The statement said that the signatories are “dismayed at the manner in which Revathi Pogadadanda was arrested and remanded”. Pogadadanda has been “vocal in opposing the controversial take-over of Mojo TV, of which she was CEO, a few weeks back”, the statement says, adding that Revathi has in the past alleged that the state government has been harassing her.Pogadadanda has also said that the state government has used the case to target her because she and her channel highlighted the Telangana intermediate results scam.NWMI urged the Telangana police to “refrain from such intimidation of journalists”. It said the case “seems to have set a new precedent to the attacks on journalists”.The case pertains to a debate that was held on the TV channel, when Varaprasad, a guest invited to the show, got into a heated argument with an anchor who was co-hosting the show with Pogadadanda. “As a Dalit person, you don’t question the oppression of Dalits in the country. Instead you’re worried about women’s temple entry,” the co-anchor, Raghu, said. He later asked Varaprasad to “get out”.Varaprasad said on the show that he was disrespected. “You invited me respectfully. You must tell me to leave respectfully. How can you ask a Dalit person to ‘get out’?” he asked. The guest took offence to his caste being mentioned, and claimed that “mentioning his identity in public, on a show that was viewed by thousands of people across the state, itself was discrimination”.Read NWMI’s complete statement below.§Condemn the arrest of journalist Revathi PogadadandaThe Hyderabad police arrested the former Chief Executive Officer of Telugu media outlet Mojo TV, Revathi Pogadadanda under the SC, ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. An invitee to a TV debate on Sabarimala issue in January, Mr Varaprasad, filed the case naming four individuals then associated with the Mojo TV programme, naming Revathi second in the FIR. The FIR mentions two counts under which the case was registered, Section 504 of IPC (which is non-cognizable and bailable) and 3 (1) of SC ST Prevention of Atrocities Act 2015.The clip of the show clearly shows that as anchor Revathi merely brought the discussion back to the topic of rights of women when it got diverted to a verbal altercation between co-anchor Raghu and the guest, Varaprasad.Significantly, the Hyderabad police chose to arrest Revathi on a Friday, leaving her no possibility of securing bail till Monday. She was remanded to 14 days judicial custody in the case. Such a detention is a blatant excess when Revathi as a journalist has been in Hyderabad and was not posing either the threat of tampering with evidence or absconding. This is a clear case of intimidation of journalists.We, as journalists working in Telangana, are dismayed at the manner in which Revathi Pogadadanda was arrested and remanded. Revathi has been vocal in opposing the controversial take-over of Mojo TV, of which she was CEO, a few weeks back. Earlier too Revathi has alleged that the state government has been harassing her.The singling out of Revathi for arrest by Telangana police smacks of political vendetta and an assault on freedom of speech of journalists, and their right to defend the independence of media.We urge Telangana police to refrain from such intimidation of journalists in the Telangana state as this case seems to have set a new precedent to the attacks on journalists.NWMI Hyderabad chapterSigned byUma sudheer, JournalistMelli Maitreyi, JournalistC Vanaja, Indepnenent JournalistProffessor Padmaja shawS. Rama, journalistV. Yashoda, journalistRajeswari KalyanamVedavathi Kiranmayi, JournalistRubeena Parveen, JournalistSandhya Srikanth, JournalistAruna C, Journalist/ PhotographerRehana Begum, JournalistSavitri, JournalistAruna Atthaluri, JournalistSurya kumara, JournalistPadma Vangapally, JournalistMadavi Kala, JournalistSwaroopa Potlapalli, JournalistAravinda, JournalistThulasi, JournalistSumabala, JournalistNirmala Reddy, JournalistAnuradha Raparla, Media ProfessionalDhanya Rajendran, Journalist
