A journalist was beaten up in Andhra Pradesh's Chirala allegedly by the brother of TDP legislator.
Highlights
- Reporter had written of lawmakers alleged corruption
- Lawmakers brother allegedly involved in attack
- Reporter thrashed on streets, crowd watched, he is now in hospital
A journalist in Andhra Pradesh has been hospitalised and is fighting for his life after the brother of a lawmaker beat him up in the town of Chirala; the attack was filmed as a crowd watched.
Amanchi Krishna Mohan is a lawmaker from the ruling Telugu Desam Party or TDP. M Nagarjuna Reddy, a senior journalist, had recently reported that the lawmaker and his brother took loans under a special scheme for financially weak people and refused to repay them. Mr Krishna Mohan has rubbished the claims and said the charges made by the journalist are baseless.
The New Indian Express reports that the lawmaker's brother and a group of others then caught the journalist in the heart of town and beat him with sticks. "The victim cried for help even as passersby watched helplessly," the paper reported.
The video went viral today, but so far, nobody has been arrested, said news agency IANS.
Mr Reddy was knocked off his two-wheeler when he was on his way to a shop with his son. The law-maker's brother and others then chased him on the street before hitting him over and over with sticks.
The reporter was later moved to hospital.
The MLA's brother, Amanchi Swamulu, has accused the reporter of violating the strict SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which aims at punishing any crime that targets traditionally weaker castes. A police case against the reporter has been filed, said IANS, which accuses Mr Reddy of making casteist remarks against the legislator's brother.