BRS leader Rama Rao appears before Telangana Police SIT in phone tapping case
Hyderabad: BRS Working President K T Rama Rao on Friday appeared before the Telangana Police SIT probing the alleged phone tapping during the previous BRS regime. Rao reached the Jubilee Hills police station here at about 11 AM for his examination. Rao, son of BRS president and former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, was served a notice on Thursday for an appearance before the SIT. Speaking to reporters at BRS office here before his appearance, Rao, who was municipal administration minister during the BRS government, said he has done no wrong or involved in any illegal, immoral activities during his stint in power. In a vitriolic attack on Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and the Congress government, he alleged that the "state cabinet has become like a gang of thieves with their corruption". Reddy, who faced allegations of corruption when he was in opposition, is now trying to defame him, Rao alleged.
He further said there has been an attempted character assassination during the last several years by the Congress by making wild allegations and "leaks to the media", he alleged. During his questioning, he would ask the police officials as to who is responsible for his character assassination in the form of "media leaks", he said. The BRS leader added that he is ready to appear before the investigators even if called again. Countering Rao's allegations, ruling Congress MLC Addanki Dayakar alleged that the BRS had "looted" the state after coming to power by taking advantage of people's sentiments in favour of Telangana statehood. Denying any political harassment against the BRS leader, he said the Congress government would act as per law. Rao's cousin and senior BRS MLA T Harish Rao was on January 20 questioned by the SIT in the phone tapping case.
Former Telangana intelligence chief T Prabhakar Rao, the prime accused in the case was earlier questioned by the SIT.
A suspended DSP of Telangana Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) was among four police officials who have been arrested by Hyderabad Police since March 2024 for allegedly erasing the intelligence information from various electronic gadgets as well as for alleged phone-tapping during the previous BRS regime. They were subsequently granted bail.
Harish Rao's examination was solely in connection with the phone tapping case, wherein serious allegations with respect to widespread unauthorised and illegal surveillance, monitoring, and interception of phone calls of politicians, businesspersons are being investigated, Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar had said.
A detailed investigation has been going on into the case with the first chargesheet having been filed against certain accused persons, police said.
