: Eight mediapersons have
been booked on charge of rioting and violating the Epidemic Diseases Act for allegedly flouting the ongoing lockdown normsin Khammam district, police said on Thursday.
The cases were registered on Wednesday following a complaint by a sub-jailor, the police said.
The sub-jailor accused the reporters and others of forcibly entering the revenue guesthouse in Madhira town of the district on the night of April 13where he, three other government officials, including a Tahsildar and a doctor, were sitting after dinner, and later attempted to assault him, they said.
The mediapersons were also accused of not maintaining social distancing norms and coming into the guest house as a mob, police said.
On April 14, the Tahsildar, Extension Officer of the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, a government doctor and also the sub-jailor (who subsequently filed the complaint against the media persons) were booked under the Epidemic Diseases Act for allegedly violating the ongoing lockdown norms and organising a liquor party at the guest house.
Based on the complaint of the sub-jailor, an Investigating official told PTI over phone that the eight mediapersons after forcibly entering the guest house allegedly argued with the government officials and one of them pushed and abused the sub-jailor besides pulling off his mask and confining the doctor to the bathroom.
The sub-jailor also stated that when he tried to rescue the doctor, the mediapersons allegedly restrained him following which he came out of the guesthouse but he was chased and a mediaperson tried to attack him, but he managed to escape and later lodge a complaint with the police.
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