Journalist questioned for hours at Hyderabad cybercrime station with infant; Police silent on allegations

Hyderabad journalist Jalli Rekha was questioned at the Central Crime Station (CCS) on Wednesday, 7 October, in connection with a cybercrime case against BRS social media convener Manne Krishank. BRS leaders and her friends say she remained at the station for nearly seven hours, waiting with her six-month-old infant and her three-year-old son. The police have not publicly responded to these accounts, and almost everything about her time at the station comes from BRS and her associates, not from independent confirmation.

Police visited her residence around midnight on Tuesday, 6 October, and directed her to appear at the station on Wednesday. Police are understood to have questioned her after her name figured in the FIR against Krishank, registered under Sections 353(2) and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

BRS working president K T Rama Rao made the allegations in a post on social media on Wednesday, while she was still being made to wait at the station, as reported by Telangana Today. The report does not name the platform. He said she was questioned over her coverage of allegations raised by Krishank against the Chief Minister’s family. He claimed she was made to wait with her infant till late at night with no women constables present, and that her baby was not allowed to be fed by her mother. According to BRS, its legal cell lawyers questioned the police over her detention on Wednesday, after which she was released late that night. No police statement or independent account confirming or denying the feeding claim has surfaced.

The case behind the questioning is one of several against Krishank in recent weeks. Police entered his house on 18 September to take him into custody over a social media post about an alleged attack on KTR’s aides at Saifabad police station. A court later rejected his remand and asked him to cooperate with the investigation, and he was told to appear before CCS police on 28 September. The present FIR, No. 668/2026, was registered on Monday, 5 October, after a complaint by Congress leader Mettu Sai Kumar over Krishank’s remarks and published material alleging corruption of about Rs 13,500 crore involving the Chief Minister’s family. Krishank had alleged that Medicover Hospital was sold for around Rs 13,200 crore and accused the family of using the deal to convert black money into white. These are allegations by BRS leaders. An officer said police acted because the claims were not backed by supporting material. No court has examined either side’s position on the substance.

On procedure, Krishank’s lawyers have challenged the police. On Tuesday, 6 October, his counsel told the Telangana High Court that the FIR was registered without a preliminary inquiry. The court directed the DCP (Crimes) to issue him a notice under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita before taking further action, and told him to cooperate. The government pleader opposed protection from arrest, saying the investigation was at an early stage. Reports differ slightly on the order of events that Tuesday, when Gopalapuram police were also reported to have arrested Krishank over a banner.

On Wednesday, 7 October, BRS leaders and journalist organisations asked senior police officials to explain the handling of Rekha’s questioning and to ensure that the rights and welfare of women and children are respected during police proceedings.

A post circulating widely on social media on 7 and 8 October makes further claims that no published report supports. It says Rekha was questioned for nine hours, that her reel alleged Rs 50,000 crore in corruption, that Instagram removed the reel, that police wanted to take her into custody, and that she must appear again the next day. The nine-hour figure is higher than the nearly seven hours reported. The Rs 50,000 crore figure does not appear in any report found, and the reports instead cite about Rs 13,200 to 13,500 crore. No report mentions a reel by Rekha or an Instagram takedown, and none mentions a police attempt to take her into custody or a fresh notice.

The case is separate from the arrests on 12 March 2025 of Pulse TV’s Revathi Pogadadanda and Thanvi Yadav. Those arrests followed a viral interview video in which a farmer made abusive remarks about the Chief Minister. The two cases should not be confused.

The police, Rekha herself and her lawyers have not given their own accounts as of Thursday, 8 October. It is also unclear whether she is a witness or an accused. This report will need updating when any of them speaks.