"The action of the Hyderabad police in registering an FIR against S. Nagesh Kumar, Resident Editor of The Hindu for publishing a report on DGP V. Dinesh Reddy meeting Habib Mustafa Idrus Baba, represents a gross abuse of power over a personal grievance," the guild said in a statement here.

"The chief minister of Andhra Pradesh should issue instructions to ensure the freedom of the press is protected against such abuse of power vested in the hands of the police who, as this case illustrates, are not above seeking to cover up their embarrassment by abusing the process of the law," it said.