AMN NEWS DESK
A journalist V Jaganmohan Reddy working for ABN Andhra Jyothi was brutally murdered during a morning walk on Tuesday as the Telugu scribe went for a morning walk at Venkatagiri Kotain area under Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.
Local media reported that Jaganmohan (40) was targeted by a group of miscreants with lethal weapons and he died on the spot. The ABN Andhra Jyothy newspaper scribe was later sent to Palamaneru government hospital for an autopsy.
in V Kota on Tuesday. Reporter Jagan Mohan Reddy was chased and attacked with sharp weapons by unidentified assailants, while another journalist, Mani, sustained injuries while trying to intervene.
Chittoor SP Tushar Dudi, who inspected the crime scene, cautioned against spreading rumours or making provocative statements that could disturb communal harmony. He stressed that strict action would be taken against anyone attempting to create unrest.
Local residents alleged that the killing may have been an act of revenge linked to Jagan Mohan’s recent role in exposing illegal red sandalwood smuggling. Reports suggest that an individual jailed in connection with the case was recently released, intensifying suspicions of retaliation. Some residents also pointed to past communal tensions and the involvement of anti-social elements, prompting police to probe all possible angles.
Speaking to the media in V Kota, SP Dudi assured that police are investigating the motive thoroughly and that the accused would be traced and arrested on a war footing. VKota police have registered a case and launched a detailed investigation, collecting evidence, CCTV footage, and verifying local claims.
The SP directed Palamaneru DSP Prabhakar and sub-divisional officers to identify and arrest the culprits at the earliest. Special teams have been formed to ensure swift progress in the case.
Various journo-bodies organized protest demonstrations at Tirupati Press Club, where Indian Journalists Union (IJU) claimed that Jaganmohan was attacked just a few days after he reported on sandalwood smugglers in the locality. The national journo-body also demanded to formulate a strict policy to safeguard the working journalists and the press freedom in general.
Leaders of the Andhra Pradesh Broadcasters and Journalists Federation, including Valigalam Gopi, Gandhi, Jayaraj, D Kiran, and Prasad Reddy, described the killing as a shocking and unacceptable attack on the media fraternity.
Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the global media safety and rights body, expressed concern over the murder of Indian scribe V Jaganmohan Reddy.
PEC’s south and southeast Asian representative Nava Thakuria informed that Chittoor is the home district of AP chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, where Jaganmohan was murdered. The victim scribe left behind his wife and two children. Mentionable is that, India lost six journalists to assailants last year where the victims include Mukesh Chandrakar, Raghavendra Vajpayee, Sahadev Dey, Dharmendra Singh Chauhan, Naresh Kumar and Rajeev Pratap Singh.
Last Updated on: 23 July 2026 4:09 PM