Phone-tapping: SIT summons KTR

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing phone tapping case has summoned Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao for questioning on Friday.

The SIT on Thursday issued notice to KTR, directing him to appear before Assistant Commissioner of Police P. Venkatagiri at the Office of the Assistant Commissioner of Police at 11 a.m.

The notice, issued under section 160 of Criminal Procedure Code, states that during the course of investigation, it came the notice of the Investigating Officer that KTR is acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case, and hence his personal examination is necessary for the purpose of investigation.

The SIT stated that failure to comply with the notice without lawful excuse shall entail action as per law.

The notice to KTR was issued two days after BRS leader and former minister T. Harish Rao was questioned by the SIT.

Harish Rao was questioned by the SIT for seven hours.

This was the first time that a top BRS leader was questioned by the SIT for questioning in the case relating to alleged tapping of phones of political opponents, businessmen, journalists and even judges under the previous BRS government's tenure.

Later, Harish Rao had told media persons that he was summoned as an act of vendetta for exposing corruption of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy's brother-in-law S. Srujan Reddy.

The former Minister said he asked more questions to SIT officials than the questions they asked.

The phone tapping case surfaced in March 2024. 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 Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) chief T. 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.