Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Central Crime Station (CCS) has escalated its action in a high-profile defamation case involving a serving woman IAS officer in Telangana.
Following a complaint lodged by senior IAS officer Jayesh Ranjan on behalf of the Telangana IAS Officers’ Association, police have registered cases against several Telugu news channels and digital platforms for allegedly broadcasting and circulating false, baseless, malicious, and sexually coloured content that amounts to character assassination, violation of privacy, and harassment.
The controversy stems from a news story aired on January 8 by NTV, along with associated digital and social media platforms, which made unsubstantiated insinuations about the woman IAS officer’s personal life. In response, the Telangana IAS Officers’ Association strongly condemned the broadcast as reckless, defamatory, and misogynistic, highlighting its impact on women in public service.
The complaint, addressed to Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar, led to an FIR under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including those related to sexual harassment, stalking, insult to modesty, criminal intimidation, and intentional insult. Police identified multiple outlets involved, including NTV. Reports indicate that up to 44 YouTube channels and associated handles amplified similar defamatory narratives.
Police Actions and Arrests
CCS police have intensified operations, arresting an input editor from one channel along with two reporters in connection with the case. The input editor was reportedly taken into custody while traveling abroad with family. Authorities are now identifying more individuals responsible and preparing for further arrests, with several YouTube channel operators reportedly going into hiding amid the aggressive probe.
Formation of Special Investigation Team (SIT) Telangana Director General of Police B. Shivadhar Reddy has constituted an eight-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to expedite the probe into this case, as well as a related matter involving morphed photographs of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. The SIT, supervised by Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar, has been directed to complete investigations swiftly and file chargesheets at the earliest.
