SIT questions Harish Rao for 7 hours

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the phone-tapping case questioned the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former Telangana Minister T. Harish Rao for seven hours on Tuesday, officials said.

The BRS leader came out of Jubilee Hills Police Station in the evening.

In response to the notice issued by the SIT, Harish Rao has appeared before the investigating officials at 11 a.m.

There was tension outside the police station towards the evening as a large number of supporters of the BRS leader had gathered there to show solidarity.

This is 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 told media persons at BRS headquarters Telangana Bhavan 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.

Denying the allegations of phone-tapping, he said he did not serve as the Home Minister.

He demanded that then Director General of Police (DGP) Mahender Reddy and the then Intelligence Chief Shivadhar Reddy be called for questioning.

Harish Rao voiced the apprehension that the state government may resort to media leaks of his questioning by the SIT.

He dared the state government to make public the entire video of his questioning.

The BRS leader reiterated that he was issued notice to divert public attention from the fighting between the Ministers for their share in corruption money.

He alleged that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was trying to implicate him in some case.

Saying that he respects the law, Harish Rao said that if summoned again he would appear for questioning.

Alleging a scam in coal tenders of public sector company Singareni Collieries, he demanded probe by a sitting judge.

He said he would provide all the evidences to the sitting judge.

Harish Rao alleged that Revanth Reddy's brother-in-law is involved in a scam of thousands of crores.