The media baron Ramoji Rao who preaches values and ethics through his paper Eenadu is not known to practice them.
When the media gathered outside the court premises to cover the event of Ramoji Rao and his son Kiran attending the court, the goons of Ramoji Rao prevented the scribes from covering this.
The goons attacked the TV journalists and beat up a couple of reporters. The camera of a TV journalist was damaged.
The journalists have lodged a complaint against Ramoji Rao in the police station.
2008/3/11 5:51:26 Eenadu chief editor and Margadarsi chairman Ramoji Rao faced some very embarrassing situation today. Ramoji Rao had field a petition in the high court in connection with some income tax notices served on him. In his petition Ramoji Rao made some personal allegations against chief minister YS Rajashekar Reddy. The court took objection to this and asked Ramoji Rao to drop the personal allegations and submit the petition afresh. But even after a week, Ramoji did not comply.
The High Court today took a strong note of this and raped Ramoji on the knuckles. The court asked Ramoji to comply with its directive immediately. The court also slapped a fine of 10,000 rupees on Ramoji Rao.
2007/8/8 10:18:59 The owner of Eenadu and Margadarsi and RFC chief Ramoji Rao is facing the biggest challenge in his life today. The land tribunal delivered its verdict today and it has gone against Ramoji Rao.
The land tribunal has found Ramoji Rao and his group companies along with his family members, about 1800 acres of surplus lands. This is against the land reforms act. No individual or a family can hold more than 500 acres of land. The tribunal has directed Ramoji Rao to surrender the land.
Ramoji Rao has been given 15 days time to respond to the notice. According to some lawyers, Ramoji Rao now has no option but to comply with the order.
But people who have watched him for some years say that Ramoji will not give up without a fight. He may drag the issue in courts for years on end if possible. The details of the verdict will be known tomorrow.
2008/2/11 9:00:22 The Eenadu chief Ramoji Rao and his son Ch. Kiron are now on bail. They have been on bail for almost three months now. The court issued an arrest warrant on Ramoji Rao and Kiron flowing a case filed by the owner of the premises on which Eenadu now stands.
The petitioner claimed that Ramoji Rao and Kiron had cheated him by forging some documents. He said that Ramoi Rao surrendered a part of the land to the government for road widening. The government gave alternate land and Ramoji Rao and Kiron got the land registered in their names.
Ramoji Rao has since refuted this. He claimed that he and his son are innocent. Ramoji Rao moved a bail petition in the High Court seeking extension of bail. The High Court directed Ramoji Rao to first surrender before the court in Visakhapatnam within the next ten day. The High Court will take up his bail petition after that.
2012/5/9 7:23:28 Hyderabad, May 9 (INN): In protest against the Central Bureau of Investigation's move to freeze the bank accounts of the Sakshi group, YSR Congress Party supporters and journalists took out separate rallies and staged dharnas across the State.
Raising slogans against the CBI move, the employees condemned the freezing of the bank accounts of Jagati Publications and Indira TV, owned by Kadapa MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Tension prevailed for a while at Punjagutta crossroads when the police arrested the workers of the YSR Congress party when they tried to hold a protest. At ESI Hospital in Erragadda, the protestors squatted on the road and raised slogans against the Congress government.
The workers also set ablaze the effigies of Congress party president Sonia Gandhi and the CBI.
Condemning the CBI action against media houses, the journalists took out a huge rally from the Somajiguda Press Club to Raj Bhavan. Holding placards and black flags, the journalists, including employees of Sakshi newspaper and TV channel condemned the CBI action and termed it as an attack on the freedom of press.
Sakshi input editor Govind Reddy said the freezing of accounts was an attempt to gag the media. He described it as the `Black Day’ in the history of democracy. The journalists also staged a protest in front of the CBI office in Visakhapatnam.
Raising slogans against the CBI action, they claimed that the freezing of the bank accounts of Jagati Publications and Indira TV was an attack on the freedom of press.
They demanded the bank accounts of the companies be restored immediately as hundreds of families were dependent on the newspaper and the TV channel for their livelihood.
The Eenadu and Margadarsi baron Ramoji Rao has constructed a palatial bungalow in the Ramoji film city.
The ‘palace’ that resembles a fortress has been constructed on top of a hill. The palace is reportedly worth about 200 crore. Ramoji has also got a helipad constructed near his palace.
2007/12/11 7:08:15 This could be the ultimate embarrassment faced by media baron Ramoji Rao in all his life. A case under section 420 has been booked against him. The case pertains to the 2.7 acres land leased out to Ramoji Rao by one M A Easwarkumar Varma.
Varma now alleges that Ramoji Rao and his son Ch Kiron, MD of Eenadu have cheated him by forging some documents. The government acquired about 570 yards of land from the site for road widening. The government gave an alternative site measuring about 600 yards.
Varma says that Ramoji Rao and his son have got the land registered in their names when it should rightfully belong to him. He approached the court and the court has now directed the police to file a case and serve notices to Ramoji Rao and Kiron under section 420 and other sections.
The news tat several blood donation camps have been organized as part of Ramoji Rao’s birthday celebrations has come in as a surprise for many.
The act is seen as aping politicians. Gone Prakasa Rao who never lets an opportunity to take on the high and mighty was once again quick to react.
Gone said that the idea of blood donations camp was a joke. Ramoji has been sucking the blood of film city employees for decades by not paying them proper wages and allowances.
So where is the blood left in the employees now for Ramoji to organize blood donations camps? As usual mum is the answer form the Ramoji camp.
All is not well in ETV and in particular between Ramoji Rao and his younger son Suman is well known. Ramoji Rao did not like the way Suman was running ETV. The long drawn out soap operas with the staple fare of family fights and scheming relatives were not to the liking of Ramoji Rao.
The fact that Prabhakar was taking too much interest and also mileage in all ETV programs also did not please Ramoji Rao one bit. The final straw was the excessive interference of Prabhakar in all activities related to ETV like production to scheduling.
Ramoji Rao is reported to have blasted Prabhakar and gave him a dressing down the other day. A shocked and unnerved Prabhakar immediately put in his papers as the creative hand of ETV.
Now Suman has locked up the cassettes pertaining to some daily serials currently being aired on ETV. Ramoji Rao is now trying frantically to get hold of the cassettes that are at the ETV office in Somajigua from where his son Suman operates.
Last heard, Suman is reported to have put in his papers as MD of Ushodaya Enterprises. The family war now resembles one of the many soap operas that are being run on ETV under the supervision of Suman.
2007/12/14 3:14:09 The Eenadu chief Ramoji Rao and his son Ch Kiron have sough anticipatory bail in a cheating case. The bail petition was filed in the Visakhapatnam court on Thursday. One Mr AEK Krishna Varma filed the case. The petitioner had given his land on lease to Ramoji Rao.
The Mucipal Corporation acquired about 517 yards of land for road widening. And Ramoji Rao and Ch Kiron were given 817 square yards of land as compensation. The petitioner says that Ramoji Rao and Kiron took the land by forging some documents. He was also kept in the dark about the compensation given by the municipal corporation.
2011/6/13 8:53:32 All India Newspapers Employees Federation vice-president Ch Purnachandra Rao on Monday condemned the murder of senior ‘Mid Day’, a newspaper published from Mumbai, crime reporter Jyotendra Dey.
In a statement, Mr Purnachandra Rao demanded that the Maharashtra government arrest the guilty immediately and protect the freedom of press.
Demanding the government to release Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the slain journalist’s family, the senior scribe appealed to government to provide a job to Mr Dey’s next of kin.
Mr Purnachandra Rao opined that Mr Jyotendra Dey was killed as he filed stories on Mumbai mafia gangs.
Meanwhile Andhra Pradesh Journalists Union president N Dayananda Raju also condemned the attack on Jyotendra Dey.
He said these type of barbaric incidents would not cow down the journalists spirit.
Mr Raju demanded Maharashtra government to punish the guilty and provide security to journalists who are facing threats from mafia gangs.(INN)
The land tribunal verdict may have gone against the Eenadu chief Ramoji Rao. But Chandra Babu Naidu is angry at the verdict. He charged the ruling congress government of launching a witch-hunt against Ramoji Rao.
Babu says that since the Ramoji Film city is a great work of great and an international standards film studio, the government should not do anything against it. Does he mean to say that even if they are many violations by RFC, no action should be taken against it?
TDP advises journos to fight against corrupt managements
2012/5/11 3:53:08 Hyderabad, May 11 (INN): Telugu Desam MLC B V Rajendra Prasad on Friday called upon journalists to fight against the managements, which indulged in corruption to accumulate wealth illegally.
Rajendra Prasad found fault with the journalists who are fighting for justice and demanding the CBI to defreeze bank accounts of Sakshi group. Talking to media persons at Telugu Desam Legislature Party office, he said that the journalists should not cooperate with the managements who established media house with the corruption money. However, he appealed to the journalists to fight for freedom of press, their rights and welfare of family members.
“Before voicing their concern for freedom of press and defreezing of bank accounts, the journalists should realise their responsibilities and fight against corruption and their managements,” Rajendra Prasad said.
He also demanded that the government take over the Sakshi Group and provide job security to employees and journalists. He said that the TDP, when it comes to power, would use the entire tainted money for the welfare of journalists and poor.
2012/3/29 1:20:25 The Kammam district Court has rejected the appeal made by media baron Ramoji Rao today. District TRS In-Charge Somayya has filed a petition against him for publishing false news against him in Eenadu news paper. Ramoji Rao, who was summoned by the court has appealed to spare him from personally attending the case as he is busy with his day to day affairs. However, the court has turned down his appeal and asked him to attend personally.
2012/5/17 2:55:57 Hyderabad, May 17 (INN): Telangana Political Joint Action Committee Chairman Prof M Kodandaram on Thursday accused the State Government of taking revenge on journalists while using CBI as a political tool.
Addressing a gathering of journalists, who were staging dharna at Dr B R Ambedkar's statue at Tank Bund, Prof Kodandaram condemned the CBI for seizing the bank accounts of Sakshi Group. He described the move as an attack on freedom of press.
Extending his solidarity to agitation of journalists belonging to Sakshi newspaper and TV channel, who are demanding defreezing of bank accounts by the CBI, Kodandaram appealed to the government to take steps to protect the freedom of press and provide job security to employees working with the Sakshi Group. He assured that the JAC Steering Committee would discuss the issue and extend full support to journalists’ agitation.
Majlis Bachao Tahreek corporator Amjadullah Khan Khaled also extended his support to journalists’ agitation.
2008/5/2 4:48:45 Congress MP Undavalli Arun Kumar continues to grow full throttle against Eenadu group chairman Ramoji Rao. The latest salvo is about evasion of VAT to the tune of 156 crore. Undavalli alleged that Ramoji Rao sold old films and serial belonging to ETV to Ushodaya Enterprises for about 1250 crore. This was to boost up the value of the company and he then sold the shares at inflated price to raise 1250 crore. Ramoji evaded paying tax on sale of films and serials etc.
Vundavalli even wrote a letter to chief minster YS Rajashekar Reddy in this regard. The way he has been tirelessly taking on Ramoji Rao and embarrassing him, the party high command is said to toying with rewarding him with a cabinet berth after the next elections.
2007/8/13 9:05:28 Chandra Babu Naidu invited a lot of ridicule recently when he sprang to the defense of Eenadu chief Ramoji Rao, following the verdict on the excess ceiling land in his possession. He went overboard and used the choicest to abuses against chief minister Y S Rajashekar Reddy and the congress party.
The same Babu is now silent when the RDO issued similar notice to Girish Sanghi of Vaartha. The notice says that Grish Sanghi has about 2,000 acres of ceiling land in his possession, and this is against the land ceiling act.
Sanghi is a congress MP and Babu should actually have welcomed this. But surprisingly, Babu is silent on this issue and he did not care to say even one word in defense of Sanghi.
Sanghi is the editor and proprietor of Vaartha, a Telugu language daily. So is it now not an attack on media, as Babu keeps saying whenever something is said or done about Ramoji Rao.
By his silence, Babu has only exposed himself. It is now obvious that for Babu, only the interests of Ramoji Rao are supreme and everything else is of little consequence.
After the film stars and technicians, the IT authorities have now turned their attention on the Eenadu and Margadarsi chairman Ramoji Rao. Sailaja Kiron, wife of Ramoji Rao’s elder son Kiron and MD of Margadarsi, was grilled by IT sleuths some time back.
Now Ramoji Rao was summoned by the IT officials’ and questioned for more than three hours. The IT officials are still continuing their questioning even now. He was asked to explain certain irregularities in his tax returns and also asked to cough up some 40 crore as tax. The case pertains to some 120 crore as unclaimed money in Margadarsi financiers.
It has been reliably learnt that the state government is very serious about the sales tax evasion by ETV and Ushakiron movies. The group led by Ramoji Rao had contested the charges and even went on an appeal. The appeal was dismissed both by the Sales Tax Appellate Tribunal and the High Court.
Ramoji Rao later filed a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court and obtained a temporary stay. The state government now is trying to get the stay vacated and recover the money. The firms owned by Ramoji Rao have reportedly evaded paying sales tax which has run up to nearly Rs. 15 crores.
2008/3/29 2:06:20 Media baron and chairman of Margadarsi financiers, Cherukuri Ramoji Rao is now in real trouble. The Supreme Court on Friday set aside his plea seeking a stay on the investigations by the state police into the alleged irregularities by the state government and investigating agencies.
The Supreme Court has now made it clear that the state government can now initiate action against Ramoji Rao for any irregularities committed by his group. If found guilty, Ramoji Rao will have to pay a fine of 7,000 crore and also face the prospect of a two year jail term.
Jagan’s Saakshi naturally went to town with this development. It carried two big stories very prominently on page one today. Ramoji Rao and his son Ch Kiron are now on bail for four months in connection with a criminal case related to land in Visakhapatnam.
The Eenadu and Margadarsi chief Ramoji Rao is quite happy at the turn if events in the state. YS Jagan quitting the congress is one good news and the decision of the high command to appoint Kiran Kumar Reddy as the new CM is another good news. KKR is expected to take on Jagan and contain the damage to the congress.
Ramoji Rao’s enemy is the congress but his main and bigger enemy is the late YSR and his son Jagan. So Ramoji plans to go soft on KKR and support his government. There will not be any critical reports on KKR in Eenadu for some time.
Ramoji with this plan wants to kill two birds with one stone- weaken Jagan and thereby also weaken Jagan’s news media – Sakshi daily and Sakshi TV.
The Kammam district Court has rejected the appeal made by media baron Ramoji Rao today. District TRS In-Charge Somayya has filed a petition against him for publishing false news against him in Eenadu news paper. Ramoji Rao, who was summoned by the court has appealed to spare him from personally attending the case as he is busy with his day to day affairs. However, the court has turned down his appeal and asked him to attend personally. 
