SC grants interim bail to actor Mohan Babu in journalist assault case

New Delhi, Jan 9 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Thursday granted interim relief to Telugu actor Mohan Babu and directed Telangana police not to take any coercive action against him in an alleged case of assault of a journalist.

A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Prashant Kumar Mishra passed the order after hearing the plea of Babu against the December 23 2024 Telangana High Court order which dismissed his anticipatory bail application.

The bench asked the police to file its response and posted the matter after four weeks.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the actor, said he had had a dispute with his son, who barged into his home along with media persons.

Rohatgi said the actor threw a mic on the journalist in the heat of the moment and he was willing to issue a public apology and even compensate for his actions, if required.

He said the actor had gone to meet the journalist in the hospital and expressed remorse for his conduct.

The counsel, appearing for the journalist, said he had to spend a couple of days in the hospital nursing a grievous injury and undergo a reconstruction surgery of the jaw.

Rohatgi however argued it was not a case where the one should be in jail.

"A scuffle has happened in the heat of the moment and the actor was willing to apologise for his conduct. Now, police have added an attempt to murder charge against me.....I am willing to compensate and apologise publicly. It happened on the spur of the moment as 20-30 odd people barged into my house. I am an actor and not interested in killing or hurting somebody," said Rohatgi.

The bench asked the journalist's counsel to ask his client if he wanted to be compensated.

On December 12, 2024, an attempt to murder charge was added to the case filed against the actor by the 35-year-old journalist.

The journalist has alleged Babu was aggressive towards him and other journalists during a visit to the actor's Jalpally home on December 10, 2024, to cover an ongoing dispute between the actor and his younger son Manoj.

The differences within the Babu family became public on December 9 after the actor filed a police complaint, alleging his son Manoj and his wife had "orchestrated" a plan to take possession of his Jalpally home through intimidation and force.

Manoj claimed his fight was not for a "share of the property" but for "self-respect and the safety of his wife and children". PTI