Hyderabad's top cop apologizes for saying national media is 'bought over'

Hyderabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand on Dec 23 apologized for his remarks about national media over its coverage of the Sandhya Theatre stampede.

Anand said he lost his cool when faced with provoking questions on ongoing investigations.

He had remarked that national media has been “bought over”. His remarks evoked a strong reaction from the national media.

“I apologize for losing my cool when asked continuously provoking questions on ongoing investigations and making unnecessary general remarks about national media,” Anand wrote on X.

“I feel bad that I got provoked and it was wrong and should have kept calm .I withdraw my remarks wholeheartedly,” he said.

The senior police officer lost his cool when some reporters of television channels continued their questions about the Dec 4 incident at Sandhya Theatre during the premier show of ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule' and the case booked against actor Allu Arjun.

“Still you are supporting…I know national media how it has behaved. All bought over. Totally bought over. No shame. Bought over, I am telling you this,” Anand told the reporters.

The police on Dec 22 released minute-to-minute CCTV footage of the incident at Sandhya Theatre, which left a woman dead and her eight-year-old son critically injured.

The senior police officer said the investigations were ongoing in the case. The police will seek legal opinion on how to proceed further.

The police had booked a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against the theatre management, Allu Arjun, and his team.

The actor was arrested by police on Dec 13. He was produced in a city court, which sent him to judicial custody for 14 days. However, on the same day, the Telangana High Court granted him interim bail.

The actor, named as accused number 11 in the case, was released from Chanchalguda Jal the next day.