Supreme Court grants bail to journalist arrested after objectionable comments were made on Amaravati women in a panel discussion he was moderating, sparking controversy and warnings from CM

The Supreme Court (SC) granted bail and ordered the immediate release of senior journalist Kommineni Srinivasa Rao, who was arrested on June 9 after a panellist allegedly made some objectionable comments on women from Amaravati.

This took place during a Sakshi TV live show that Mr. Rao was moderating.

More on Kommineni’s arrest
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The top court passed the order on Mr. Rao’s plea challenging his arrest.

A partial working day bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan directed the release of 70-year-old Rao, who was arrested on June 9, noting that he did not make the statement on his show and it was one of the panellists who made the alleged derogatory remarks.

Questioning the Andhra Pradesh Government over the arrest, the bench said it was necessary that Mr. Rao’s journalistic rights and his fundamental right to freedom of speech were protected.

“The petitioner himself did not make the statement on the live TV show and his journalistic rights need to be protected so that his freedom of speech is also protected. We direct that the petitioner be released in the FIR subject to conditions imposed by the trial court,” the bench ordered.

The bench, however, asked Rao not to make any derogatory statements on his show or allow anyone else to make the same.

The Andhra Pradesh Police on Monday (June 9, 2025) arrested Mr. Rao from Hyderabad for hosting a programme, where alleged disparaging remarks against the greenfield capital city Amaravati were made.

The comments were made by one of the panellists on a TV show hosted by Mr. Rao on June 6.

People from various sections and regions had lodged multiple complaints with the police over a debate that allegedly contained derogatory comments on women from the Amaravati region.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had earlier said in a statement that making disgraceful and vulgar remarks on them under the guise of political vendetta and media analysis was an unforgivable offence. He warned that all those who crossed all boundaries in hurting the sentiments of women as part of a malicious conspiracy against the capital would face serious consequences.