The Guntur Bar Association, the All India Lawyers’ Union, and Avagahana, a citizens’ watch forum, condemned the harassment of Resident Editor of The Hindu , Hyderabad, S. Nagesh Kumar, by Director-General of Police V. Dinesh Reddy, at separate meetings here on Friday.
In the meeting held on Bar association office premises at the District Court, association president L.V.S. Murthy, past president L. Ankamma Chowdary, and AILU district secretary N. Srinivasa Rao deplored the DGP’s attitude in getting charges framed against Mr. Nagesh Kumar.
What constituted a serious violation of the democratic norms and an affront to the judiciary was the blatant disregard of the fact that a High Court Judge granted anticipatory bail to Mr. Nagesh Kumar.
The Bar association and the lawyers’ union demanded that cases booked against Mr. Nagesh Kumar be withdrawn as the action taken by the DGP had sent wrong signals to people, who would otherwise lose confidence in public institutions, particularly the police department.
At Avagahana office, MLC K.S. Lakshman Rao said the cases against The Hindu ’s RE was nothing but an attack on democracy. “ The Hindu is a highly respected national daily newspaper and it would certainly not have mala fide intentions in publishing the DGP’s visit to a godman. Avagahana secretary K. Sivarami Reddy, Senior Citizens’ Association president N. Tirupataiah, and Insurance Corporation Employees’ Union leader V.V.K. Suresh were present.
