Mohan Babu apologises to journalist for assault after attempt to murder charge: ‘Media became inadvertently intertwined’

An attempt to murder charge was added to the case filed against veteran Telugu actor Mohan Babu over his alleged attack on a video journalist.

Actor Mohan Babu apologised to the video journalist he allegedly assaulted during a physical altercation outside his Hyderabad home on Tuesday. The actor claimed that he was only trying to protect himself from “anti-social elements", when the “media got inadvertently intertwined” in the situation. (Also Read: Lakshmi Manchu posts cryptic notes amid feud between dad Mohan Babu, brother Manchu Manoj)

Mohan Babu apologises to journalist for assault.

What Mohan Babu said

Mohan Babu took to his X handle on Friday morning and shared a formal apology addressed to the media company the journalist belongs to. He called the incident “unfortunate” and expressed his “deep regret”. “It pains me deeply that what started as a personal family dispute spiralled into a larger situation.” Mohan Babu also clarified that he was hospitalised because of health reasons for the past 48 hours otherwise would have apologised sooner.

The actor explained that when 30-50 people barged into his home, including “anti-social elements,” he lost his composure and caused an injury to the journalist “in the heat of the moment.” He said that the “media became inadvertently intertwined” in the situation, which led to “a deeply regrettable outcome.” He then apologised to the journalist, his family, and his media company, and wished him a speedy recovery.

What happened on Tuesday?

An attempt to murder charge was added to the case filed against Mohan Babu over his alleged attack on a video journalist, police said on Thursday. Following a complaint by the 35-year-old journalist, a case under Section 118 (1) (voluntarily causing hurt using dangerous weapons or substances) of the BNS was earlier registered against the actor at the Pahadishareef police station. “Based on the detailed statement of the journalist, the section (in the case) has been altered to section 109 (attempt to murder) of BNS,” a senior police official said.

In his complaint, the journalist stated that when he visited Mohan Babu's Jalpally residence on December 10 to cover the ongoing dispute between the actor and his younger son Manoj Manchu, the senior actor confronted him and other journalists aggressively. He allegedly grabbed the microphone, used "abusive and foul language," and “attacked” him with it, causing a head injury, the complainant stated.