http://deccan.com/City/CityNews.asp#Scribes%20held%20for%20forgery
Scribes held for forgery Hyderabad, Nov. 7: Kodumur police on Wednesday arrested two journalists of vernacular dailies for forgery and extortion. The reporters, Sriramulu of Andhra Jyothi and Urukundu of Andhra Bhoomi, were sent to jail after being produced in court. They were charged with cheating, forgery, using forged document for publication and attempted extortion. The duo had published a report saying that Laddagiri village secretary Maddileti had allotted Indiramma houses meant for the poor to Chief Minister Y.S. Rajashekar Reddy, minister Mareppa, film star Nagarjuna and local MLA Shikamani. Kurnool deputy superintendent of police S. Ramanath said that police had registered a case against Maddileti as per the complaint lodged by district housing corporation manager Vijay Kumar. "But during investigation we found that Sriramulu and Urukundu had got the village secretary's signature on a blank paper," said the DSP. "Later they added the names of the Chief Minister and others." The police officer added that Sriramulu called up the village secretary and attempted to extort money threatening to publish it as a new item. Police could not explain why Maddileti had been suspended if he had already explained the issue to his superiors. Neither did the police submit the document containing the signature for forensic examination. "The main accused in the case is Sriramulu," said the DSP. "Urukundu accompanied him to the village secretary." Former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu condemned the arrest and said that it was an attack on freedom of press.
