Two Journalists Arrested in Hyderabad Over Defamatory Content Against IAS Officer

In a significant development in Hyderabad, two journalists have been arrested for allegedly disseminating defamatory content about a female IAS officer. This incident has triggered a political uproar, with parties like the BRS and BJP demanding their immediate release. The Telangana police have initiated a Special Investigation Team to probe the matter further. The arrests have raised concerns over press freedom and the treatment of journalists in the region, with various political leaders condemning the actions of the police. As the situation unfolds, the journalists are planning to challenge their arrests in court, highlighting the ongoing tensions between media and government authorities.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jan 15, 2026, 08:05 IST

Arrest of Journalists in Defamation Case

In Hyderabad, two journalists from a Telugu news channel were taken into custody on Wednesday for allegedly disseminating defamatory material concerning a female Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, according to police reports.

A senior police official informed a news agency that the journalists were arrested for broadcasting content deemed 'extremely inappropriate and disgraceful' targeting the IAS officer.

Political parties, including the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have sharply criticized the Telangana government over the journalists' arrests, calling for their immediate release.

Following a complaint from the Telangana IAS Officers' Association, several news channels and media organizations have been named in a First Information Report (FIR). The complaint alleges that these media outlets published and aired false, fabricated, and baseless information about the female IAS officer.

Earlier in the day, police had detained three journalists from the channel for questioning.

Authorities later arrested two of them while releasing one. One of the arrested journalists claimed to the media that 'this is an unlawful arrest, and we will approach the court.' To conduct a thorough investigation into the matter, the Telangana police established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on January 12.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar urged the journalists summoned for questioning to cooperate with the police during the investigation.

Meanwhile, G. Kishan Reddy, the Union Minister for Coal and Mines, condemned the 'illegal' arrests of the journalists and demanded their release.

K.T. Rama Rao, the executive president of BRS, expressed on social media that the Congress rule in Telangana reminds him of the Emergency days, lamenting that the Director General of Police treats journalists like criminals. He has called for the immediate release of the detained journalists.

Senior BRS leader and former minister T. Harish Rao also condemned the detention of the journalists and demanded their prompt release. BJP's state president N. Ramchandra Rao criticized the police action, labeling it a direct and dangerous assault on press freedom and democratic values in Telangana.