Hyderabad, Jan. 16 -- A local court in Hyderabad on Thursday granted bail to two television journalists belonging to Telugu channel NTV in connection with the telecast of alleged defamatory news against a woman IAS officer early this week, people familiar with the matter said.

The 14th additional chief metropolitan magistrate in Nampally criminal courts granted bail to the two journalists - the channel's input editor Donthu Ramesh and reporter Dasari Sudheer, who were arrested on Wednesday, based on a complaint filed by special chief secretary to the Telangana government Jayesh Ranjan.

After questioning them for several hours, the arrested journalists were produced before the magistrate late on Wednesday night.

Their lawyers had argued...