CLC expresses concern over foisting false cases on scribes

Tirupati: The AP Civil Liberties Committee (CLC) expressed serious concern over foisting false cases under the stringent 'Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS)' against journalists, who were critical of the government or its institutions to silence them.

Speaking to media persons here on Thursday, CLC AP and Telangana coordinator Kranthi Chaitanya said that a senior journalist M Srinivasulu from Tirupati was arrested on Wednesday on false charges of peddling ganja under the NDPS Act for pointing out the lapses in TTD which is condemnable.

Tirumala police several times threatened him after he posted messages on WhatsApp criticising the TTD management which ultimately led to his arrest under the NDPS Act, he alleged. Kranthi Chaitanya alleged that Sullurpet police forcibly took away Srinivasulu from his house in Tirupati and was implicated in a narcotics case and was now in district jail, Nellore, leaving his wife and children in lurch. In this connection, he said last year a senior journalist B M Sasidhar from the city, was also arrested on false charges under NDPS Act, ignoring his feeble health condition, leading to his death while he was in judicial custody on November 8 last year.

He urged the media persons to unitedly fight against foisting false cases on journalists or else it will turn into a major threat to freedom of press and also lead to a dangerous situation in which no journalists can function in a free and fair manner. The CLC in its part is ready to support any fight against police foisting false cases against journalists, he averred.

CLC senior member Hemadri, advocates Ravindranatha and Vasudev were also present.