The Supreme Court of India on Friday granted immediate bail to senior journalist and Sakshi TV anchor Kommineni Srinivasa Rao in a strong affirmation of press freedom. He was arrested by the Andhra Pradesh police following a controversial televised debate aired on June 6. The court ruled that Rao, who moderated the show, was not the one who made the offensive remarks, and questioned the legal grounds for detaining him based on statements made by another participant.

The bench, comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan, highlighted that Rao’s mere presence or reaction during the broadcast does not imply criminal intent. The judges stressed that laughing at or not objecting to a panellist’s comment cannot be considered a punishable act. The court also directed the local court in Guntur to set appropriate bail conditions and reiterated the importance of safeguarding the freedom of journalistic expression.

Rao had been remanded to judicial custody for two weeks under serious charges, including provisions from the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Information Technology Act. These were filed after panellist VVR Krishnam Raju allegedly made derogatory statements targeting Dalit women from the Amaravati region. While Krishnam Raju remains in custody for refusing to retract his comments and publicly defending them, the Supreme Court made it clear that responsibility cannot be extended to journalists hosting such debates unless there is direct involvement.