Jagan media houses plea in HC on Thursday

HYDERABAD: Justice B Seshasayana Reddy of the AP High Court will hear the four writ petitions filed by Jagan Mohan Reddy’s media companies and journalists working in them on Thursday.They sought suspension of operation of the impugned government order stopping ads to Jagati Publications, publisher of Sakshi newspaper, and Indira Television that operates Sakshi channel.The Jagan companies, in their petition, said the government order violates Article 14 of the Constitution and wanted restoration of the ads.About 15 employees who included journalists of Jagati Publications joined the managements in challenging the government directive.The employees said their managements had never interfered in the news content disseminated by the newspaper or channel. Sakshi newspaper editor V Murali contended that the government’s action was clearly an attempt to muzzle freedom of the press.He pointed out that the FIR and chargesheet filed by the CBI would indicate that some of the allegations relate to the acts of the government, which would therefore be a co-accused.The petitions pointed out that rival media houses have been setting agenda for CBI’s investigation of the case against Jagan’s companies. The agency has not taken similar action on allegations faced by Ushodaya Publications, publisher of Eenadu newspaper, they pointed out.Jagan’s companies on Wednesday also challenged the special CBI court’s order dismissing petitions filed by them seeking de-freezing of company bank accounts.Last week, the CBI had frozen bank accounts of three Jagan firms - Jagati Publications, Indira Television and Janani Infrastructure - on the ground that the firms received amounts as quidpro- quo for favours doled out during YSR’s tenure.