Andhra Pradesh Journalist Murder
The killing of Telugu journalist V. Jaganmohan Reddy turned a routine morning walk into an Andhra Pradesh journalist murder case now drawing international scrutiny.
The Press Emblem Campaign, a Geneva-based media safety and rights organization, called for a fair probe after Reddy, an ABN Andhra Jyothy journalist, was killed in Chittoor district on Tuesday, April 28. PEC said authorities must identify the attackers, establish the motive, and punish those responsible under law.
Reddy, 40, was attacked in the Venkatagiri Kota area while on a morning walk. Local reports said assailants used sharp weapons and left him dead at the scene. His body was sent to Palamaneru Government Hospital for a postmortem.
Another journalist was injured while trying to intervene. Chittoor Superintendent of Police Tushar Dudi said police were probing the motive and checking evidence, CCTV footage, and local accounts. Reports said six special teams joined the search for suspects.
Journalist Bodies Raise Red Sanders Reporting Link
Journalist organizations protested at Tirupati Press Club after the murder. The Indian Journalists Union said Reddy had recently reported on sandalwood smugglers in the area and demanded a strict policy to protect working journalists and press freedom.
The Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists also alleged the killing could be revenge linked to Reddy’s recent reporting on alleged illegal red sandalwood smuggling. The group urged the state government to enact a special Journalists’ Protection Act.
Police have not publicly confirmed a motive. The New Indian Express reported local residents suspected a possible link to Reddy’s red sanders reporting, while police said they were probing all possible angles.
Red Sanders, also called red sandalwood, grows in parts of Andhra Pradesh, including Chittoor. India’s Press Information Bureau said the high-value species faces “rampant smuggling” and receives protection under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and CITES controls on international trade.
United News of India reported police identified history-sheeter Peter Thameem and another person in connection with the case. Siasat also reported that police identified Tamim as the prime accused. NewsBlaze India could not independently verify those reports.
Nhrc Case Adds Pressure
Deccan Chronicle reported that India’s National Human Rights Commission registered a case after Hyderabad-based human rights advocate Rama Rao Immaneni filed a complaint. The complaint alleged Reddy had written reports on red sandalwood smuggling and official inaction.
PEC president Blaise Lempen condemned the murder and urged the state government to thoroughly investigate. PEC said Reddy became India’s first media victim this year and the 26th worldwide.
PEC’s South and Southeast Asian representative, Nava Thakuria, noted that Chittoor is the home district of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. Reddy is survived by his wife and two children.
India lost six journalists to assailants last year, according to PEC. The organization identified the victims as Mukesh Chandrakar, Raghavendra Vajpayee, Sahadev Dey, Dharmendra Singh Chauhan, Naresh Kumar, and Rajeev Pratap Singh.
The Andhra Pradesh journalist murder now tests whether state authorities can move beyond condemnation and deliver arrests, a clear motive, and justice for Jaganmohan Reddy.
