An independent journalist based in Hyderabad, KV Reddy, was arrested by the Andhra Pradesh Police on Tuesday night, 30 June, under a non-bailable warrant. The journalist was taken into custody following his political coverage critical of the Chandrababu Naidu-led state government.
Late on Tuesday evening, Andhra Pradesh police officers arrived at the journalist's residence and took him away while he was still in his nightclothes, sparking strong protests from his family members. Video footage of the incident surfaced on social media platforms, showing distraught women and children crying during the arrest.
The journalist was initially taken to the Saroornagar Police Station. Officials confirmed that it is standard procedure for police officers from a neighbouring state to bring an arrested individual to the nearest local police station before transporting them to the station with direct jurisdiction over the case. A police officer confirmed that the arrest was executed by officers from Bobbili. KV Reddy runs a popular YouTube channel which has amassed 1.27 million subscribers.
The wife of Reddy has lodged a complaint with the Saroornagar Police here, alleging that unidentified persons who claimed to be AP Police personnel illegally entered her house, assaulted her and took away her husband without following due process.
Meanwhile, Telangana Rakshana Samithi chief K Kavitha strongly condemned the arrest, labelling the incident despicable. She questioned the grounds on which KV Reddy was detained and criticised the Telangana police for remaining silent on the matter.
Kavitha questioned why the local police, who co-operated in the arrest of a Telangana journalist, chose to stay silent in other instances, specifically referencing film actors who had made controversial comments about Telangana separatism and its regional ideology. She demanded to know why similar actions were not being taken against them.
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