By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police V. Dinesh Reddy is in logger heads with media that critically covered his personal visit to an old city based godman Habib Mustafa Idrus Baba.
On Thursday morning DGP in his official convoy stopped over Charminar police station from where he along with Additional DCP (Task Force) B. Limba Reddy drove to the house of Baba in the narrow lanes of Fateh Darwaza.
DGP Dinesh Reddy with Habib Mustafa Baba (image published in The Hindu)
Since his stop at Charminar local media started to cover his every move, although elaborate police arrangements were made, media sneaked to have DGP’s view at a 40 minute meeting with Baba.
Local Telugu news channels telecasted live his visit to old city’s sooth sayer alleging that DGP called the godman as recently Supreme Court has ordered for a CBI inquiry into his alleged disproportionate assets.
Some news channels also suggested that DGP who was scheduled to retire on superannuation on end of September but recently approached Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) to quest an extension of his tenure, allegedly made request to Baba for payers in getting orders in his favor.
Mr. Reddy is fighting his ground on the basis of a judgment given by Supreme Court that a state DGP must have a fixed term of two years, Mr. Reddy who was appointed last year want complete two years of service as DGP.
On Friday in further embarrassment for DGP, The Hindu local edition carried on their front page his image bowing in obedience in-front of godman who was dressed in Darvesh style.
On the same day enraged DGP booked cases against news channels who covered his visit especially Zee 24 Gantalu, V6 and T News. All these news channels now claimed they are targeted by DGP who belong to Seema Andhra region as they are hardcore Telengana news channels. Earlier in the day many news channel offices were raided by central crime station teams which resulted in furious staffs and journalists of the channels to make a strident protest outside DGP office.
It was not the first time DGP got in news for visiting a godman, media attention was rapt even last year during his two trips to the ashram of controversial godman Ramadhuta (Avadhuta) Swamy at Chevuru in Gudluru mandal of Prakasam district.
The famed Habib Mustafa Idrus Baba is not new to VIP visit at his ‘Ibadat Khana’ in old Hyderabad, senior Congress leader and former Governor of Andhra Pradesh ND Tiwari (who was caught in a sex scandal) and former Union Railway Minister CK Jaffer Sharief (who was disturbed by the death of his son) met the Baba in the past.