Telugu channel exposes IPS officer’s escapades

BY K Sriramulu| IN Media Practice | 12/01/2011

A police commissioner who sent lewd smses to a woman doctor is interviewed live on ABN Andhra Jyothi

K SRIRAMULU reviews the media trial

The Telugu news channel ABN Andhra Jyothi has exposed the escapades of an IPS officer, who was so far acclaimed by a section of media as a paragon of virtue. The channel also broadcast live interview with the same IPS officer, who tried to defend the indefensible. It has stirred up a hornet’s nest in Andhra Pradesh.

Perhaps for the first time, a Telugu TV channel --- ABN Andhra Jyothi --- stirred up hornet’s nest in Andhra Pradesh by airing the episodes of “escapades” of an IPS officer named Seetharamanjaneyulu, who is the police commissioner in the politically sensitive Vijayawada city. “next time want u2 wear sky blue dress with ur hair loose and flowing….,” This is one of the tens of sms Seetharamanjaneyulu sent to a woman doctor. Though he had been propositioning her for long time, the news remained suppressed because a TV channel refused to broadcast the report after its management had a talk with him, the IPS officer himself revealed it in a live telecast of his interview on the ABN Andhra Jyothi on Wednesday (January 5, 2011).

The news about the IPS officer propositioning not only the woman doctor but also several others in Vijayawada and sending sms and calling them from his official mobile is a bolt from blue. What is more surprising is that Seetharamanjaaneylu agreed to speak out without demur against his critics in a live broadcast in the same channel ---- ABN Andhra Jyothi. Channel managing director V Radha Krishna anchored the programme and grilled the IPS officer to get his reaction but in vain. Instead the police commissioner chose to wash his “dirty linen in public.” He pleaded innocence, while admitting that he had sent the sexist smses to the woman doctor.

“I know that a politician had laid a trap for me. I played along to see how far the politician would go,” said Seetharamanjayaneyulu all along 90-minute broadcast. At first he refused to divulge the name of the politician who, he said, had laid the trap but in the course of the programme he identified the person as Vallabhaneni Vamsi Krishna, who unsuccessfully contested from Vijayawada Lok Sabha constituency on the Telugu Desam Party ticket.

Ironically, the IPS officer also made it public that he had a meeting with the management of a TV channel which had suppressed the news about his propositioning the woman doctor. Apart from that, he revealed “the proprietor of the news channel held talks with me in the presence of Vamsi Krishna.” There is so far no reaction from the management of the news channel.

More shock awaited Seetharamanjayenulu in the course of a live broadcast with Ms Shanta Reddy, former member of National Commission for women, intervened by telephone and questioned him about his activities in Kurnool town when he was the superintendent of police in Kurnool district. She sought to remind him that she had called him up on telephone on an occasion and given him a dressing down for “making advances towards a divorcee.” The IPS, however, became impatient and even frowned upon ABN Andhra Jyothi anchor for allowing everyone to intervene.

What is more shocking is the behaviour of reporters in Hyderabad. By the evening, the chief minister ordered an inquiry into the episode. But the director general of police, while talking to reporters, said “we are examining both the versions.” It meant that he took cognizance of Seetharamanjayaneyulu statement that he had just played along to see how far the politician would go to trap. But no reporter seemed to have asked the director general of police whether “sending such sexist sms is a crime.”

The Telugu media, which revels in gore details of violence, has failed to carry the alleged crime committed by the IPS officer prominently. Two major Telugu newspapers --- Sakshi and Eenadu --- carried the story inside the pages but failed to publish reactions by Human Rights Activists as was the case with the English newspapers. But the English newspapers has given prominence to the story and carried it on page one unlike the Telugu media. A Telugu news channel went to such an extent as to suggest that the entire episode was concocted to defame the IPS officer though he himself confessed to have sent “lewd” smses to the woman doctor.