Popular singer, performer and show host Srinivas has lashed out at news and pop content website Indiatimes for wrongly using his picture in a story on the recent arrest of Ghazal singer Kesiraju Srinivas over charges of sexual harassment.
A story published by the Times-Group-owned website, with the headline ‘Guinness World Record Holder Ghazal Singer Srinivas Arrested For Sexual Harassment in Hyderabad’, had carried an image of Srinivas, instead of Kesiraju Srinivas.
Following this, Srinivas took to Facebook to air his anger and threatened to sue the website. “Years back when the legendary singer PB Sreenivas died some presswalas too my biodata and wrote an obituary column.. Now some singer Srinivas in Hyderabad gets arrested on a sexual harassment case, they publish my photograph .. This time I am going to sue them for damage caused to my reputation .. Can some legal experts here help me please ? I am really angry with this ..” he said. (sic)
He also wrote to a Content Manager at Indiatimes on Twitter about the same.
Speaking to The News Minute, Srinivas said, "I know a case might not get me anywhere, but something has to be done. There are bigger errors made by the media. I know in my case it is a one-off error, and it is not like I am in trouble. But good old journalism standards have to be back instead of first-to-report sensationalism."
Indiatimes has meanwhile apologised to Srinivas on this FB page, and taken down the story.
Singer Kesiraju Srinivas was arrested on Tuesday on charges of sexual harassment. A case against the singer, also known as “Ghazal Srinivas”, was registered on December 29 following a complaint by a woman, a radio jockey. The woman said Kesiraju Srinivas, who is popular for singing ghazals in Telugu, was harassing her for the last nine months, a police official said. Kesiraju Srinivas, who holds the Guinness World Record for singing in most languages (76) at one concert, has denied the allegation and said he had never misbehaved with her.
Singer Srinivas has bagged several prestigious awards. He was awarded the State Award by the government of Tamil Nadu twice, for his song "Minsara Poove" from the Rajnikanth film ‘Padayappa’ and in 2007 for his song, "Maargazhiyil" from Onbathu Rooba Nottu. He got the Kerala State Award for the song "Baansuri" from the film Raathrimazha. He was conferred with the title Kalaimamani by the Tamil Nadu government.
(With IANS inputs)