Hyderabad: In a relief to Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy-owned Sakshi newspaper and television channel, the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday granted an interim stay on implementation of the state orders banning government advertisements to the media group.
The state government had on May 10 ordered a freeze on releasing advertisements to Sakshi newspaper and Sakshi channel.
Based on a petition filed by Jagati Publication, which brings out the vernacular daily and Indira Television, the broadcaster of the Telugu channel, Justice Seshasayana Reddy issued interim stay orders and directed the stat government to file its reply before June 16.
According to a Sakshi counsel, the high court observed that the state government order (GO) has not followed the guidelines set for the release of government advertisement to newspapers and channels.
Citing the chargesheet filed by CBI against Jagati Publications, the Andhra Pradesh Information and Public Relations Commissioner R V Chandravadan issued an order last week asking the government departments, agencies, public sector undertakings, corporations and organisations to "withhold releasing of advertisements and notifications (to Sakshi group) with immediate effect in public interest".
The government order came in the wake of the CBI, which is probing the disproportionate assets (DA) cases against Jagan, had last week froze the bank accounts of Jagati Publications, Indira Television and Janani Infrastructure--the firms owned by Jagan.
PTI
