Journalist booked for post against Telangana power company's spat with consumer over outage

Hyderabad: Telangana Police on Wednesday booked a woman journalist for allegedly defaming the state government and power utility with a false claim that there was power interruption for seven hours in LB Nagar area.

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Revathi at LB Nagar Police Station of Rachakonda Police Commissionerate under Section 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 66D (punishment for cheating by personation by using computer resource) of Information Technology Act 2008.

The FIR was registered on a complaint by M. Dileep, an Assistant Engineer in Saroornagar division of Telangana Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TGSPDCL).

The complainant stated that he received a message from higher officials that one person with username @revathitweets posted a message that there was a seven hour power interruption in LB Nagar area.

The complainant said it was a false allegation, intentionally defaming the state government and their organisation TGSPDCL.

Reacting to the FIR, Revathi alleged that while she was booked, the actual culprits from Telangana Power & Co, who harassed a female consumer, were allowed to walk free.

She tagged Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to ask if this was their stance on media independence.

“Is your government trying to silence journalists who expose the truth? If you do believe in democracy, stand with us when we fight for justice, and protect the freedom of the Press!,” she said in her post on X.

The journalist had posted on Tuesday that the Rachakonda Police handle messaged her within minutes of her tweet about a woman being harassed by a TGSPDCL employee for complaining about a power cut.

Revathi had posted that when the woman from LB Nagar had tweeted about a power cut, a lineman dropped in at her residence and demanded that she delete the tweet.

She said she did not post the video of the harassed woman to protect her privacy.

Senior journalists have condemned the FIR against Revathi and termed it as an act of intimidation against a free Press.

Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) condemned the case against the journalist.

“Real face of Congress,” posted BRS leader Krishank.

BRS Working President, KT Rama Rao and BJP leader Amit Malviya, too, reacted to Tuesday’s post by Revathi.

Rama Rao called it a shocking state of affairs in Telangana.

“Is the police department running Energy department or is it just plain police Raj where you will file cases on anyone who raises questions on social media?,” asked the BRS leader.

“Woman harassed in Congress-ruled Telangana for complaining against extended power cut,” posted Amit Malviya.