Hyderabad: The Press Council of India (PCI) has taken suo motu cognizance of the arrest senior journalist, Mohammad Subhan by the Hyderabad police. The PCI has acted on complaint filed by Amar Devulapalli, Secretary-General of Indian Journalists Union (IJU) and member of the Press Council of India.
In a statement issued in Delhi on Thursday, the Press Council of India (PCI) Chairman Justice Chandramauli Kumar Prasad said that he noted with concern reports of arrest of senior journalist, Mohammad Subhan by Telangana Police. He took suo-motu cognizance of the issue and ordered issue of notices to the Chief Secretary, Secretary (Home) and the Director General of Police of Telangana to file a report on the facts of the case along with reply Statement.
Earlier in a communication to the PCI Chairman Justice C K Prasad, Amar Devulapalli alleged that Hyderabad police foisted a fabricated case against senior journalist Mohammed Subhan and arrested him as he exposed the graft and inefficiency in the police through his reportage in the last few months. He said some senior police officers, who were sour with him over his reports, implicated him in a false case and sent him to jail.
Amar said “We feel the police implicated Mohammed Subhan in a false to frighten other reporters from exposing their misdeeds and observe self-censorship. We strongly feel this is an attack on freedom of the press and request you to kindly take suo motu cognizance of the arrest of Mohammed Subhan and initiate appropriate action against the Hyderabad police for implicating a reporter in a false case.” (NSS)
