In a significant twist to Telangana’s phone tapping controversy, the SIT investigating illegal surveillance has summoned BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao for interrogation. The notice mandates his presence on Friday morning before ACP P. Venkateshwar, following preliminary findings that link him to the case’s core details.
Non-compliance risks strict legal repercussions, as outlined in the formal directive. This follows a marathon seven-hour session with T. Harish Rao earlier this week, the first such high-profile grilling in the saga that has rocked state politics.
Unveiled in March 2024, the scandal accuses the erstwhile BRS government of orchestrating widespread phone intercepts targeting rivals in politics, business, media, and judiciary via a covert SIB team. An FIR was promptly filed at Hyderabad’s Panjagutta station.
At the center is ex-SIB head T. Prabhakar Rao, flanked by officers D. Praneeth Rao, Tirupathanna, N. Bhujanga Rao, former DCP Radha Kishan Rao, and media mogul Shravana Kumar. Harish Rao emerged from his questioning defiant, labeling it revenge for highlighting graft claims against CM Revanth Reddy’s relative, S. Srijan Reddy, and boasting of turning the tables on investigators.
The summons to KTR, a dynamic BRS stalwart and former minister, amplifies tensions between the ruling Congress and opposition. With elections looming, this probe could expose systemic misuse of state machinery or be branded as selective persecution. Stakeholders await KTR’s response, which may clarify or complicate the narrative surrounding Telangana’s surveillance shadows.
