The Supreme Court has granted interim relief to veteran Telugu actor Mohan Babu, protecting him from any coercive actions by the police in connection with an alleged assault on a journalist.
The decision was made on Thursday, with a bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Prashant Kumar Mishra. The Court issued a notice to the state police, seeking their response within 4 weeks.
This relief came after Mohan Babu challenged the Telangana High Court’s December 23 ruling, which had denied him anticipatory bail in the case. The incident in question involves the actor allegedly assaulting a journalist by throwing a wireless microphone at him, resulting in grievous injuries.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Mohan Babu, explained to the bench that the altercation stemmed from a family dispute. Rohatgi stated that Babu’s estranged son had arrived at the actor’s residence with a media crew of 20-30 people, leading to a confrontation. In the midst of the altercation, Babu threw the mic at the journalist. Rohatgi further emphasized that Babu is willing to issue a public apology and offer compensation for the incident.
However, the counsel representing the journalist countered this argument by detailing the severity of the injuries sustained. The journalist was hospitalized for five days, underwent reconstructive jaw surgery, and had to be fed through a pipe, underscoring the gravity of the incident.
The Supreme Court’s decision to grant interim relief has brought temporary respite to Mohan Babu, but the case remains under investigation, with the state police set to respond within a month.
