The issue of police case against the resident editor of The Hindu over a news report on state Director General of Police (DGP) V Dinesh Reddy's visit to a godman is taking a serious turn even after the newspaper published a rejoinder sent by the DGP himself.
Though Siddharth Varadarajan, editor of The Hindu, clarified the news paper' stand on all the points raised by the DGP along with a full copy of the rejoinder in its Thursday edition, the head of the state police said he would pursue other legal means such as filing a defamation suit against the resident editor.
"A simple rejoinder will not work in cases of motivated writing such as this. I have the highest regard for the editor who published the rejoinder. But the newspaper did not clarify anything about my carrying the files to the godman," the DGP said when asked as to what was the point in pursuing the case when the newspaper has already carried his version.
On Tuesday, an assistant commissioner of police (ACP) filed a complaint at a police stations against The Hindu's AP resident editor S Nagesh Kumar for publishing the news report, which also wrote quoting sources the DGP carried some files to the godman in the old city on a day the latter sees people with personal problems.
"Is it worth my salt to be a DGP if I carried some official files to a godman to keep them at his feet seeking to get over problems instead of fighting those responsible in an appropriate forum?" Reddy asked while stating that The Hindu so far did not say anything about this aspect in its clarifications because it was a part of the motivated writing against him.
However, the DGP said he had got nothing to do with the complaint filed by the ACP and it was for the ACP to answer any questions on this. The FIR was filed under Section 505 (1)(b)(c) related to intent to cause fear or alarm to the public, Section 469 (forgery for the purpose of harming reputation) and Section 3 of the Police Incitement to Disaffection Act of 1922.
Reddy also said he would approach the Press Council of India against the newspaper besides filing a defamation suit against the resident editor. He denied possessing any illegal assets and said the Supreme Court had only directed to verify the ownership of the land pertaining to the sale deed copies presented by the petitioner, who sought an inquiry into his assets. The petitioner in this case is Umesh Kumar, a senior IPS officer who is fighting a forgery case filed against him by the state police in this regard.
The Hindu today reported that, pursuant to a Supreme Court directive, the Central Bureau of Investigation has instituted a preliminary inquiry into allegations of disproportionate assets against Reddy.
Reddy, who is to retire this month in the normal course, however, has filed an application in the Central Administrative Tribunal seeking extension for one more year on the basis of a Supreme Court directive that the DGPs should have a fixed tenure of two years.
The Editors Guild and several organisations, including the journalists associations in the state, had condemned the police action against the newspaper.
In his rejoinder, Reddy questioned the motive behind giving a six-column display of the story on page one to which Varadarajan wrote: "While merely questioning this newspaper's decision to run the story on a visit by the Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police to a godman and to display it in the manner in which it was done on September 13, Mr Reddy is unable to provide any facts to challenge the veracity of our report."
The Hindu is expected to approach the AP high court in a day or two against the police action after receiving the certified copy of the FIR filed against its resident editor. "The newspaper has decided to take any further move by the police or the DGP very seriously," a senior journalist working in The Hindu told Business Standard.
Meanwhile, reports suggested the FIR was referred to a local court on Thursday for further proceedings.
