Hyderabad: An Assessment Committee
constituted by the Press Council of India (PCI) on alleged
police brutality against mediapersons in Osmania University
here held its hearing Sunday.
The committee comprising K Sreenivas Reddy, S N Sinha
and Kalyan Barooah heard several mediapersons and the leaders
of Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) on the
alleged police atrocities on February 14.
Nagaraju, an alleged victim of police brutality, said
he was beaten up badly even after identifying himself as a
scribe. The violence perpetrated against the journalists
appeared to be pre-planned and pre-meditated, he alleged.
K Amarnath, leader of APUWJ, said the police refused
access to the media into the University and even cut the cable
wires of news channels to prevent the coverage.
Chief Minister K Rosaiah, state ministers and top
officials assured to do justice over the violence against
mediapersons and ensuring the freedom of press but nothing
seemed to have changed on the ground, he alleged.
Several other mediapersons also narrated how they
faced the alleged police fury. The Assessment Committee would
speak to police officials tomorrow on the matter.
About 22 persons, including five mediamen and 11
security personnel with an officer among them, were injured on
February 14 when students agitating over creation of separate
Telangana hurled stones at them on Osmania University campus
prompting them to use force to quell the mob.
PTI
