SIT examines KCR for nearly five hours

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the telephone-tapping case examined Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president and former chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for nearly five hours at his residence here on Sunday.

The SIT team left KCR’s Nandi Nagar residence around 8 p.m. after examining him based on the statements given by the accused, including the main accused T. Prabhakar Rao, former chief of Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB).

The team, comprising six officials, made an audio and video recording of the examination.

The case, registered in 2024, relates to the alleged tapping of phones of several people, including political opponents, businessmen, journalists and even judges during the BRS rule.

The former chief minister was believed to have been questioned about the appointment of Prabhakar Rao as SIB chief even after his retirement.

Amid tight security, a team of SIT officials reached KCR’s house at 3 p.m. in Nandi Nagar in Banjara Hills.

KCR was examined by SIT officials in a room on the second floor of the house. KCR’s son and BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao, and some other family members were present in the house.

Police had made tight security around KCR’s house to foil any gathering of BRS cadres. Barricades were erected on the roads leading towards Nandi Nagar.

Police stepped up the security in view of the plans by BRS leaders and workers to gather to show solidarity with him, as they allege that he was questioned out of political vendetta by the Congress government.

Earlier, KCR reached Hyderabad from Erravalli village in Siddipet district after the SIT issued him second notice, directing him to make himself available for examination in Hyderabad. The BRS chief was accorded a warm welcome by the party leaders.

SIT had summoned KCR for examination on Friday (January 30). The former chief minister was asked to make himself available at any place within Hyderabad, but he conveyed to the SIT to fix any other date as he was preoccupied in connection with the municipal elections.

KCR also sought his examination at his residence at Erravalli village in Siddipet district. However, SIT rejected his request and in its second notice pasted on his house in Hyderabad on the night of January 30, directed him to make himself available for examination at Hyderabad on Sunday.

The BRS leader, in his reply to SIT, stated he would make himself available at 3 p.m. on Sunday at his Nandi Nagar residence in Banjara Hills for examination by the SIT.

KCR is the top-most leader of BRS to be questioned in the case. The SIT last month examined K. T. Rama Rao, T. Harish Rao and Santosh Rao.

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 Kumar 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.