Home Minister to order probe into 'assault' on photographer

Hyderabad, Sep 21 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Home Minister K Jana Reddy today assured a delegation of the Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) that he would direct the city police commissioner to inquire into the allegation of assault on a press photographer by Commissioner of Weights and Measures R P Meena.

In a statement here, APUWJ General Secretary G Anjaneyulu said representatives of APUWJ, Hyderabad Union of Journalists (HUJ), AP Press Photo Journalists Association and AP Electronic Media Journalists Association met Mr Reddy and submitted a memorandum demanding action against the officer.

Mr Anjaneyulu claimed the officer manhandled Mr Srinivas working with a popular vernacular daily and damaged his camera when he tried to take shots of a dharna staged by employees of the Weights and Measures Department.

Earlier in the day, hundreds of mediapersons staged a dharna at the busy RTC Cross Roads protesting against the behaviour of the officer. He said the police had arrested the journalists and later released them.

Meanwhile, official sources said Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy had taken a serious note of the incident and summoned the officer to his chamber for explanation.

BJP MLA G Kishan Reddy and CPI(M) MP Madhu visited the spot and expressed solidarity with the agitating employees and mediapersons.

Andhra Pradesh Press Photographers Association President H Satish said they were shocked and deeply hurt by the incident.

UNI BR GM SI RS2003