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The additional judicial first class magistrate at Tadepalligudem town on Monday sentenced Ramoji Rao, media baron and chief editor of Eenadu daily, to two years of simple imprisonment in three cases of defamation.
Magistrate Janamanchi Sambasiva Rao, however, suspended the enforcement of the judgment till October 16 to enable Rao to appeal.
In one of the cases, the magistrate also directed Rao to pay a compensation of Rs 5,000 for causing mental agony to the complainant.
The cases pertained to three reports published in Eenadu in December 1994 and June 1996, alleging that the then chairman of the West Godavari District Central Cooperative Bank, V Venkata Ranga Parthasarathi, had misappropriated funds to the tune of Rs 8.4 million.
Based on the reports, the state government constituted an enquiry, which gave a clean chit to Parthasarathi.
Meanwhile, Parthasarathi filed three cases of defamation in the court of additional judicial first class magistrate, Tadepalligudem.
The defence counsel argued that a complaint lodged with the government on misappropriation of funds and the bank's audit reports had formed the basis of the three reports.
It was contended that the reports were based on adequate evidence and that they were published in public interest.
However, the magistrate rejected the contentions and sentenced both Rao and Newstoday staff reporter P Sai Kumar who filed the reports. Rao was granted bail on a surety of Rs 30,000.
Eenadu is the largest circulated Telugu daily.
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