Prisons boss dubs channel sex worker'

Hyderabad: TS Prisons Director-General V.K. Singh on Saturday stirred a controversy after saying that a TV channel, HMTV, was behaving like a “commercial sex worker”.

The channel had allegedly reported that Mr Singh was smuggling teak wood to Patna, Bihar, his native state and claimed that it had uncovered ‘crores of worth of teak wood’ being taken there via trains by his staff.

Denying the allegations, the DG issued an invitation for a press conference on Monday, wherein he claimed that the channel was behaving like a commercial sex worker. “Commercial sex workers are a dignified lot and are much better lot than such media personnel who threaten officials with allegations,” Mr Singh said.

He added that he would give clarity on the issue on Monday. He said allegations made by the channel were baseless.

“On Monday during the meet, I am going to start a movement, lodge a complaint and make sure that such personnel of media are exposed.

“The media is one of the pillars of democracy and I fully support our media system and respect the fraternity but it is because of such individuals that they get a bad name,” Mr Singh said.

“Sex workers complained and asked that they not be degraded as they responsibly run their business and do not threaten anyone or do fraud, unlike these men. It is nothing but pure anarchy to impose baseless allegations and threaten a police official,” he said.

Asked about the ‘smuggling’, sources from Railway police said that the alleged wood transporter, a police constable, was carrying bills for the wood. “The man transporting wood on train had documents and the bills and we suspect no foul play. Because we are not experts, we turned the wood and the bills over to the forest department for investigation,” a Railway police official said.

District Forest Officer Venkateshwar said it was a constable who had purchased some teak wood, and was taking it to Ramagundam, his native place, for ornamental beading.

“The bills and documents are totally legitimate and it was a mere small quantity of wood, unlike crores worth of wood being smuggling to Bihar as reported in the media. He had purchased the wood with his salary and was taking it home, which is totally legal,” he said.

The Congress requested Director-General of Police M. Mahendar Reddy to take action against Mr Singh for “defaming a media house and disrespecting the profession.”

Congress spokesperson Sravan Dasoji said Mr Singh was venting his anger on an investigative report which was aired on HMTV, rather than filing a complaint.

“If he was not happy with the contents of the report, he should have lodged a complaint with Press Council of India or the Indian Journalists Union. Instead, V.K. Singh issued a letter called the reporters 'Commercial Sex Workers’ which is highly objectionable and he must tender a public apology to media and withdraw his abusive language,” Dr Dasoju said. He said it was Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao who had set the trend of targeting the media with filthy and abusive language.

“While addressing a meeting at Warangal, KCR threatened to bury a news channel in a 100 feet pit. V.K. Singh has just emulated KCR in insulting the media,” he added.