A Hyderabad metropolitan court granted bail to the editor of Telugu daily Andhra Jyothy, K Srinivas and two reporters, two days after they were arrested under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. They were released on bail on a surety of Rs 10,000 each.

The judge ordered the two reporters Vasmi Krishna and N Srinivas to report to the Banjara Hills police station once a week.

Though Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and Home Minister K Jana Reddy has promised that the government will not oppose their bail, the public prosecutor opposed it in court.

The three journalists were arrested Tuesday night on a complaint of a Dalit organisation Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti that the newspaper employees had abused their leader Manda Krishna Madiga on his caste.

The action has created a big storm pitting journalists against the government. The Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists continued its protest on the second day on Thursday. Journalists took out a rally and attempted to march towards the state assembly. However the police stopped it midway.