The arrest of former chief executive officer of Mojo TV Revathi Pogadadanda by Banjara Hills police on Friday morning has spread like wild fire in the media circles, but there was hardly anybody who came in support of her openly.
Reason: She was booked under SC/ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act, based on a complaint from Dalit leader, who alleged that Revathi and anchor Raghu had abused him in the channel studio.
Revathi tried to alert the other media persons saying that she was being arrested from her house, in a case that was as old as in January.
“I am an A2 in this case of SC/ST. There is no notice, no warrant. These are Banjara Hills police on the direction of their ACP KS Rao. They tried to take my phone,” she said.
Since it is a sensitive case, other media channels or reporters dare not openly question her arrest though they expressed their views within private conversations.
The police said Revathi had to be arrested as she was not cooperating with the police.
“We have already served two written notices and also called her and asked her to come to the police station, but she did not respond,” the cops said.
In January, a Dalit activist Varaprasad appeared on the channel about a discussion over the entry of women into Sabarimala temple in Kerala. Revathi was moderating the discussion along with another anchor, Raghu.
During the debate, Raghu got into a heated argument with the guest, who alleged that the channel was having ‘jaundiced’ and ‘biased’ views.
As the argument heated up, Raghu asked Varaprasad to get out of show and Revathi allegedly supported him. She alleged that Varaprasad had come to the show to pick up the fight.
An angry Varaprasad said he was being disrespected after called for the debate.
He alleged that the channel made a mention of his caste and claimed that mentioning his identity in public, on a show that was viewed by thousands of people across the state, itself was discrimination.
