Andhra scribe murderers arrested, sent to judicial custody

                                                                                                                                                                  NJ Thakuria

 

Local media reports reveal that Keshav (35), a reporter with the EV5 YouTube channel, was stabbed by suspended police Constable Venkata Subbaiah and his relative Nageswara Rao (Nani). 

 

Facing the global outcry by various international media rights & safety bodies, the Andhra Pradesh police forces in central Bharat on Monday (9th August) night arrested two murder-accused Nandyal based television scribes Chenna Keshav, whom a local court on 10th August 2021 sent to 14 days judicial custody.

 

Local media reports reveal that Keshav (35), a reporter with the EV5 YouTube channel, was stabbed by suspended police Constable Venkata Subbaiah and his relative Nageswara Rao (Nani) on 8th August. It is understood that Keshav was targeted because of his series of reports on corruption and gambling issues.

 

The accused policeman faced departmental suspension because of media reports on his illegitimate activities. Hence, the Kurnool district police also assumed that Venkata had intentionally killed the young reporter after calling him for some discussions. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital with serious wounds, but Keshav succumbed to injuries.

 

Besides the AP journalist fraternity, global outfits like Geneva-based Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), Paris based Reporters sans Frontiers (RSF), New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Brussels based International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Vienna based International Press Institute, etc. expressed shock at Keshav’s murder and demanded a thorough probe into the incident.

 

“Keshav’s assassination is the third incident of journo-killings during 2021 in the populous democratic country. The State government, led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, should do the needful to punish the culprits under relevant laws. There must be no impunity,” said Blaise Lempen, general secretary of PEC (www.pressemblem.ch/).

 

Last year, Bharat recorded the highest number of journalists killed worldwide, with 15 fatalities among 92 media persons killed in different countries. According to the PEC, 46 journalists have lost their lives across the globe since 1st January this year, where Afghanistan tops the list with at least five journo-victims followed by Mexico & Pakistan (3 each), Bangladesh (2), Colombia (1), etc.