SC Grants Bail To Andhra Pradesh Journalist In Offensive Remarks Case
The bench granted bail to Kommineni Srinivasa Rao saying it was necessary that petitioner's journalistic rights and fundamental right to freedom of speech were protected.
By Sumit Saxena
Published : June 13, 2025 at 4:04 PM IST
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to senior journalist Kommineni Srinivasa Rao, who was arrested by the Andhra Pradesh Police for allegedly making disparaging remarks against greenfield capital city Amaravati on his live show.
The matter came up before a bench comprising justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan. Arrested on June 9, the 70-year-old journalist, had moved the apex court challenging his arrest.
The bench directed the release of Rao noting that he did not make the statement on his show but it was one of the panelists who made the alleged derogatory remarks.
The bench asked the state government counsel, how the petitioner could be arrested for statements made by someone else. "Someone else is making the statement. How can this be?", the bench asked. The state government counsel replied, “He was goading and abetting the man who was making that statement. He was laughing”.
The bench said it was necessary that the petitioner's journalistic rights and his fundamental right to freedom of speech were protected. “We direct that the petitioner be released in the FIR subject to conditions imposed by the trial court”, said the bench.
The bench also asked Rao to refrain from making any derogatory statement on his show or allow anyone else to make the same.
