In a significant development in the phone tapping case in Telangana, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has summoned Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) President and former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
The SIT has issued notice to K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), directing him to make himself available for questioning at 3 p.m. on Friday (January 30).
The SIT officials served the notice at KCR’s resident at Nandinagar in Banjara Hills on Thursday.
Considering KCR’s age, Investigation Officer P. Venkatagiri has communicated to that he may voluntarily appear before him at the Jubilee Hills Police Station or alternatively may specify any other place within Hyderabad city convenient for examination.
The notice, issued under Section 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code, mentioned that during the course of investigation, it has been revealed that he is acquainted with facts and circumstances relevant to the case and hence his examination is necessary.
The case relates to alleged tapping of phones of several political opponents, businessmen, journalists and even judges under the previous BRS government.
The notice to KCR was issued days after SIT questioned top BRS leaders and his relatives in the case.
Former MP Joginipally Santosh Rao, who is a nephew of KCR, was questioned for over seven hours on Tuesday.
KCR’s son and BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao was questioned by the SIT for more than seven hours on January 23.
Another of KCR’s nephews, former minister T. Harish Rao was questioned by the SIT on January 20 and grilled for over seven hours.
The SIT had earlier questioned BRS MLC K. Naveen Rao and former MLAs Jaipal Yadav and C. Lingaiah in the same case.
It also examined Union Minister of State for Home, Bandi Sanjay and BJP MPs Eatala Rajender and M. Raghunandan Rao, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President B. Mahesh Kumar Goud and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s brother Kondal Reddy as witnesses and victims.
The phone tapping case surfaced in March 2024 and an FIR under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act and Information Technology Act was registered at Panjagutta Police Station in Hyderabad.
A special team was allegedly constituted in the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) during the BRS regime to tap phones of several individuals.
Former SIB chief Prabhakar Rao is the main accused in the case. Deputy Superintendent of Police D. Praneeth Rao, Additional SPs Thirupathanna and N. Bhujanga Rao, former DCP Radha Kishan Rao and a television channel owner Sravan Kumar are the other accused.
