Hyderabad: Police have booked an attempt to murder case against veteran Tollywood actor Mohan Babu for attacking a television journalist at his residence recently.
Rachakonda Police, which earlier registered a case under Bharat Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Section 118 (1) (causing hurt with dangerous weapons or substances), has added Section 109 (attempt to murder).
Police said that after taking the legal opinion they added Section 109 to the First Information Report (FIR) registered at Pahadi Shareef Police Station.
The FIR was registered on a complaint by M. Satyanarayana, a reporter of Telangana news channel TV9.
Mohan Babu attacked the TV reporter when the latter had gone to his residence in Jalpally to cover the ongoing dispute between him and his actor son Manchu Manoj.
Journalists had staged protests Wednesday, demanding the police book an attempt to murder case. They had also demanded an apology from Mohan Babu, who is also a former Member of Parliament.
Meanwhile, Mohan Babu remained in hospital. He was admitted Tuesday night with high blood pressure and anxiety.
He could not appear before Rachakonda Police Commissioner, who had served notices to him and his two sons. The senior actor approached Telangana High Court, which exempted him from appearance till December 24.
Mohan Babu’s elder son and actor Manchu Vishnu Wednesday termed the Tuesday night attack on the journalist unfortunate. He claimed that the act was not deliberate. He said that their father came before the media by doing ‘namskar’ but when a mike was put close to his mouth, he attacked on an impulse. He assured all help to the family of the injured journalist.
Manchu Manoj, who is locked in a bitter fight with his father, said that he was apologising to the media on behalf of his father. He said the media persons came under attack while supporting him.
The injured reporter stated in his complaint that when Manchu Manoj and other journalists went into the house on the invitation of Manchu Manoj, Mohan Babu confronted them aggressively, used abusive and foul language, grabbed the mike and attacked him with the mike. This resulted in severe head injury.
The incident occurred when Manchu Manoj broke the gate to enter the house after an argument with the bouncers deployed there. Along with Manoj and his private security men, some journalists also entered the house.
When the TV 9 reporter asked a question to Mohan Babu about the dispute with his son, he got enraged, grabbed the mike and attacked the reporter with the mike. The journalist collapsed on the ground. The bouncers drove all the journalists out of the house.
The injured reporter was admitted to a hospital in Shamshabad. According to doctors, he has suffered three fractures in zygomatic bone (cheekbone) and needs plastic surgery.
