The Supreme Court granted bail to veteran journalist Kommineni Srinivasa Rao, ordering his immediate release days after he was arrested in connection with controversial remarks made during a televised debate on Sakshi TV. The arrest had triggered concerns over journalistic freedom and freedom of expression.
The bench of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Manmohan passed the order on a petition filed by Rao challenging his June 9 arrest by the Andhra Pradesh Police. The 70-year-old journalist was taken into custody from Hyderabad after a panellist on his show allegedly made objectionable comments about women from the Amaravati region during a live broadcast on June 6.
The top court observed that Rao himself did not make the contentious remarks and emphasized the importance of safeguarding journalistic freedom. “The petitioner did not personally make the statement on the live TV programme. His rights as a journalist, including his fundamental right to freedom of speech, must be protected,” the bench stated.
While directing his release, the court made it clear that Rao must comply with any conditions set by the trial court. It also cautioned him against making or permitting any future derogatory remarks during his programmes.
Following his arrest, Rao was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days and taken to a government hospital in Guntur for a medical check-up. His arrest came amid a flurry of police complaints filed across Andhra Pradesh, alleging that the TV debate contained offensive comments targeting women from the Amaravati region.
Reacting to the controversy, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had condemned the incident, calling the remarks “disgraceful” and “vulgar.” He asserted that such statements, masked as political discourse or media analysis, were unacceptable and warned of strict action against those involved in what he termed a “malicious conspiracy” to malign the state’s greenfield capital.
Case Details
Case Title: KOMMINENI SRINIVASA RAO Petitioner(s) VERSUS THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH
Case No.: Writ Petition(s)(Criminal) No(s). 244/2025
Date: 13-06-2025
Counsel For Petitioner: Siddhartha Dave, Sr. Adv.
Counsel For Respondent: Mukul Rohatgi, Sr. Adv.
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