'Ready To Apologise, Compensate', Says Telugu Actor Mohan Babu In Case For Assaulting Journalist; Supreme Court Grants Interim Relief

The Supreme Court today (January 9) granted interim relief to Telugu actor Mohan Babu by ordering that no coercive actions should be taken by the police against him in the case for assaulting a journalist.

The allegation is that he took a wireless mic from a TV9 journalist correspondent and threw it on him causing grievous injuries. 

A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Prashant Kumar Mishra issued notice returnable 4 weeks in a Special Leave Petition filed by Bahu against the December 23 order of the Telangana High Court denying him anticipatory bail. The High Court observed that the journalist received grievous injury and he underwent surgery. There are serious allegations against Babu including the specific allegation that is trying to influence the complainant to withdraw his complaint. 

Appearing for Babu, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi at the outset explained in what situation the injury happened. He stated that Babu has an estranged son with whom there was a dispute and the son barged into his home along with a media crew of 20-30 people. Rohatgi stated that in the heat of the moment, Babu threw the mic on the journalist, for which he is willing to issue a public apology and even compensate if required. 

Rohatgi further stated that Babu had even gone to meet the journalist in the hospital and expressed sorrow. However, Counsel appearing for the journalist stated that contrary to what is being claimed, Babu had gone to threaten the journalist to take back his complaint. The Counsel added that the journalist had to spend 5 days in the hospital, had to go through a reconstruction surgery of the jaw and was fed food with a pipe. 

On this, Rohatgi said: "This is not a case where the man should be in jail. A scuffle has happened and I apologise. Now, they have added an attempt to murder....I can compensate, I can apologise...It happened in the spur of the moment. 20 people barged into my house. They had no reason...I am a well-known actor. I am not interested in killing or hurting somebody."

After briefly hearing the Counsel from the respective parties, the Court asked the Counsel for the journalist to seek instruction on whether he wanted to be compensated.

Case Details: MANCHU MOHAN BABU v. THE STATE OF TELANGANA AND ANR, SLP(Crl) No. 132/2025