Disparaging comments: Supreme Court grants bail to senior journalist

The apex court said it was necessary that the petitioner's journalistic rights and his fundamental right to freedom of speech were protected.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to senior journalist Kommineni Srinivasa Rao, who was arrested by the Andhra Pradesh Police for allegedly making disparaging remarks against greenfield capital city Amaravati on his live show.

A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan, however, clarified that the petitioner would not either involve himself in making any defamatory statement nor allow any other person to make such statement in his presence in the TV News Show which he is anchoring/ hosting.

The court granted the relief to the 70-year-old journalist, who had moved the apex court challenging his arrest. It issued notice to the state government seeking response from the state government within eight weeks.

After hearing the counsel, the court said it was necessary that the petitioner's journalistic rights and his fundamental right to freedom of speech were protected.

He was arrested on June 9, in connection with an FIR registered at Police Station Thulluru, Guntur District on June 8, 2025 for the offence punishable under Sections 79, 196(1), 353(2), 299, 356(2), 61(1) of BNS, Section 67 of Information Technology Act and Section 3(1)(u) of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Protection of

Atrocities) Act.

He is the host of the TV News show namely “Live with KSR” which is aired on the Sakshi TV, a Telugu news channel in the State of Andhra Pradesh. He was represented by senior advocate Siddharth Dave.

The bench directed the release of Rao noting that he did not make the statement on his show but it was one of the panelists who made the alleged derogatory remarks.

The court asked the state government counsel, how the petitioner could be arrested for statements made by someone else.

"Someone else is making the statement. How can this be," the bench asked.

The state government counsel senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Sidharth Luthra replied, “He was goading and abetting the man who was making that statement. He was laughing”. The petitioner has abetted the crime and remained a mute spectator, they said.

The court, however, allowed the relief, saying “We direct that the petitioner be released in the FIR subject to conditions imposed by the trial court".

The bench also asked Rao to refrain from making any derogatory statement on his show or allow anyone else to make the same.