Hyderabad Police Commissioner Apologizes for Remarks Against National Media

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand issued a public apology on Monday, retracting his controversial remarks about sections of the national media. The comments, made during a media interaction on Sunday, had sparked strong reactions from journalists and media organizations.

In a post shared on his personal X (formerly Twitter) account, Commissioner Anand expressed regret for his outburst during the interaction. He stated, “I apologize for losing my cool when faced with provocative questions during the investigation into the Sandhya Theatre stampede and the Allu Arjun case. It was wrong of me to make unnecessary general remarks about the national media. I deeply regret my comments and wholeheartedly withdraw them.”

The controversy stemmed from remarks Anand made during a discussion with reporters about the December 4 incident at Sandhya Theatre during the premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule. The tragic incident resulted in the death of a woman and left her eight-year-old son critically injured. When repeatedly questioned by reporters, Anand alleged that the national media had been “bought” and accused it of biased reporting.

“I know how the national media operates. Everyone is bought, totally bought. No shame,” he had stated in a widely circulated video. These remarks drew widespread criticism, prompting the apology.

The police, meanwhile, released minute-to-minute CCTV footage of the Sandhya Theatre incident and confirmed that investigations are ongoing. Legal experts are being consulted on how to proceed further. A case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder has been registered against the theatre management, Allu Arjun, and his team.

Allu Arjun, who was named as accused number 11, was arrested on December 13 and initially remanded to judicial custody for 14 days. However, the Telangana High Court granted him interim bail the same day, allowing his release. The incident and subsequent developments have kept the spotlight on the handling of the case.