A television news channel, 99TV, recently aired a shocking report claiming that 200 sharpshooters had been deployed in locations where Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was scheduled to tour. According to the channel, the alleged plan was to eliminate him during one of these public appearances.
Jagan, who is a Z Plus security protectee, usually travels with 58 police personnel assigned to his security. Trusting the news report aired by the channel, he reportedly increased his security by adding 40 private bouncers to his convoy for additional protection.
However, the entire story turned out to be a hoax. A Janasena Party leader filed a complaint with the police in Nelapadu, located in the Guntur district. Acting on the complaint, the police served a notice to the journalist who aired the controversial story on 99TV.
Initially, the journalist could not be traced but later appeared before the police in Nelapadu on a Wednesday. When questioned, he claimed that he overheard some people speaking about sharpshooters doing recce for Jagan and based his story entirely on that unverified information.
The police were reportedly stunned by this explanation. They questioned how a news channel could air such a serious and sensitive story without any fact-checking or reliable sources. The journalist admitted to the mistake and was allowed to leave after being instructed to cooperate with the investigation whenever required.
It is a good sign that the government and police are taking such incidents seriously. However, issuing notices alone may not be enough. Stronger action is needed to ensure media accountability in reporting matters of public safety and national importance.
