Mr. K. Sathyanarayana, a 45 year old journalist with the Telugu Daily Newspaper Andhrajyothi, was beaten to death on October 14, 2019, near his residence in S Annavaram village in Tuni mandal, while he was returning home from work.

According to the police, the two assailants who were probably travelling by bike, attacked him with a heavy weapon and fled the place. He died on the spot. The investigating officers suspect that heavyweight iron rods may have been used in the attack.

Mr. K. Sathyanarayana was working on exposing corruption by politicians and, because of his work, had been receiving several death threats. There was even a previous attack on his life but the police had not taken action then.

Based on a complaint made by his brother, a murder case has been registered against YSR Congress legislator Dadisetti Ramalingeswara Rao. The brother said Sathyanarayana had been receiving threatening calls saying that Raja (Tuni MLA Dadisetti Raja) was backing them.

This was the fourth attack on a journalist in the state just in the past few months, all of them suspected to be related to Congress members.

Media and civil society organisations are very worried about the threat to freedom of expression because, since Chief Minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy took charge, the government has been accused of persecuting media outlets and going after journalists who are critical to the government.