Hyderabad: The local police have taken into custody two journalists of NTV Telugu news channel in Hyderabad after a case was registered against the channel for airing a ‘defamatory’ news alleging a love affair between a Telangana minister and a woman IAS officer. The two were later released on bail. The channel’s input editor Donthu Ramesh and it’s reporter who covers secretariat beat Dasari Sudhir were both picked up past midnight on Tuesday and shifted for questioning at the office of a special investigation team (SIT) that was constituted to probe the case as well as another one targeting chief minister A. Revanth Reddy on social media platforms. A person named Kavali Venkatesh had morphed the picture of Reddy and shared it in a WhatsApp group a few months ago. While Ramesh was taken into custody at the Shamshabad international airport when he was about to board a flight to Bangkok with his family, Sudhir was whisked away from his house at Boduppal. Pending formal arrest, both of them were detained at the SIT office housed in the old city police commissioner’s office at Basheerbagh throughout Wednesday and then taken to a government hospital nearby for the routine medical examination prior to their production before a magistrate. Another reporter of the same channel Paripurna Chary was also detained but let off in the evening. The journalists were later released on bail by the magistrate after furnishing personal bonds for Rs 20,000 each late in the night. Their lawyers had argued before the magistrate that the case did not stand legal scrutiny in the absence of a complaint from the woman who was the victim. The complaint was from a third party i.e the IAS officers association. The magistrate ordered release of the journalists on bail after confiscating their passports and on condition that they will not leave the city till the completion of investigation. The police had registered cases against NTV management, editors, reporters and anchors and eight social media platforms on a complaint by Telangana IAS officers association. It constituted an eight-member SIT headed by a joint commissioner of police to probe the case.Director General of Police B. Sivadhar Reddy issued a press release expressing his anger at character assassination of individuals on social media platforms. He reminded that on October 1 last year while assuming charge he had warned tough action against such misdeeds. He said he had made it clear then that anyone who abused social media to outrage modesty of women or resort to character assassination would be dealt with firmly. Reddy once again clarified that fake news about individuals or their family members which could breach their privacy would not be tolerated. The police will not have any objection to constructive criticism and opinions within legally permissible limits but overstepping the limits will invite stringent action, he mentioned. Separately, Hyderabad police commissioner V.C. Sajjanar told media persons that a case was registered and investigation speeded up in the case relating to defamation of the woman IAS officer. Sajjanar asked why the chief executive officer (CEO) of the TV channel was trying to avoid the police. He underlined that the CEO was supposed to appear for questioning in response to notice served on the channel’s management. But, he failed to show up. He underline that the reporters were also running away. Further, Sajjanar noted that the input editor was taken into custody while trying to flee after purchasing tickets for travel to Bangkok instantly and another reporter had switched off his mobile phone. All of them will be arrested wherever they try to hide, he mentioned. Sajjanar said the details of investigation in the case will be disclosed soon. The police will crack the case completely by legal means. Law will take its own course. Criticism was natural in public life but it must be factual. However, it was cruel to level criticism against a woman officer without any basis, he added. “How can women work if fake stories were circulated about them,” he asked and expressed anguish at deliberate attempts to target women. Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy condemned the arrest of the journalists. He issued a press release saying the arrest amounted to a direct attack on the freedom of press and democratic values. Forcefully entering journalists’ homes by breaking doors at midnight during this festival and arresting them without following due legal procedure or issuing notices is highly deplorable and reflects an authoritarian mindset, Jagan said.Union coal minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader G. Kishan Reddy said the arrest of journalists was immoral as the SIT was still on the job to dig out details. He added that action should have been taken after completion of the probe and establishing criminal liability of the accused. Further, Kishan Reddy noted that such premeditated arrests were condemnable. He wondered whether the chief minister did not trust the SIT or he resorted to vengeance. The Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) also condemned the arrest with its working president K.T. Rama Rao expressing concern saying that it took place amidst a festival. “Strongly condemn the arrest of three journalists during the festival. Congress rule in Telangana reminds of Emergency days every single time It is unfortunate how the TelanganaDGP is hell bent on treating journalists like criminals You could have served them notices and called them for an investigation. Going into journalists homes in the dead of the night is definitely a stretch!” he wrote on X.Strongly condemn the arrest of three journalists during the festival. Congress rule in Telangana reminds of Emergency days every single timeIt is unfortunate how @TelanganaDGP is hell bent on treating journalists like criminalsYou could have served them notices and called…— KTR (@KTRBRS) January 14, 2026BRS MLA and former state minister T. Harish Rao who spoke to the DGP over phone and unsuccessfully urged him to release the journalists later told media persons that the chief minister was trying to gain control over media houses by ordering the arrest. He recalled the remarks of the chief minister in the past when the latter exposed his anger at journalists saying he felt like slapping them on the face on occasions. Harish Rao said the chief minister was trying to foist Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) case against reporter Sudhir though he did not attract the provisions since he was an SC person.Meanwhile, several journalist unions have condemned the arrest. The Telangana union of working journalists represented by its president Allam Narayana said the midnight arrests were untenable because the aggrieved had the option to seek rebuttal if the news was false or baseless. Legal measures could follow if the media house did not respond positively, he mentioned. At the same time, the union counselled media to observe restraint when reporting about women, elderly persons or children. Care should be taken to ensure that the reputation of individuals was not sacrificed by their stories, it noted.The Telangana journalists forum president Palle Ravi Kumar Goud said it was strange that the editor and the chairman of the channel were spared and employees were arrested in the case. The responsibility for news disseminated by the channel lay on the editor and the chairman, Gour added. Further, he reminded that there was no possibility of any news being broadcast without the permission of the management. The Telangana union of working journalists questioned the right of the police to carry out searches in the houses of women journalists late at night. Its deputy general secretary Kalukuri Ramulu said in a release that the channels ran stories based on information available in the public domain. The mediahouses did not deliberately target individuals. He said it was deplorable that leaders who complimented the media for unearthing faulty policies of governments now colluded with police to foist false cases against journalists. Similarly, the Telangana working journalists federation said the management should be held responsible for publication or telecast of news and not the journalists on its payrolls. The Telangana working journalists association also criticised the police highhandedness while arresting the journalists. It said the police held Sudhir by his neck in the hospital when the journalists were taken there for a routine medical checkup ahead of their production before the magistrate.