Telugu daily editor arrested, remanded in judicial custody

Hyderabad, Jun 25 (UNI) The city police has arrested Telugu Daily Andhra Jyothi editor K Srinivas along with two of its reporters under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act from the newspaper office here late last night.

Police immediately produced the trio before the local court Magistrate and remanded them in judicial custody for two weeks.

They were later lodged in Chenchalguda prison.

The Banjara Hills Division Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) V Ramakrishnaiah told newspersons that the editor and two contributers--Srinivas and Vamshi-- were arrested based on a complaint lodged by the Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS) Founder President M Krishna Madiga, who alleged that beating of an effigy, symbolising him, was an insult to the Scheduled Castes (SCs).

Police claimed they had evidence that the three slippered an effigy of Krishna Madiga during a protest following an attack by MRPS activists on the newspaper office on May 26.

In protest against the arrests, the newspaper staff took out a rally from the office to the police station and demanded their release.

Journlists Associations were organising dharnas in several parts of the state in protest against the arrest of the scribes and staged rasta and rail rokos this morning.

UNI AP ROY JT KN1203