Hyderabad: Former BRS Member of Parliament Joginipalli Santosh Rao appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Tuesday in connection with the phone tapping case.
Following instructions from the investigating officers, the former Rajya Sabha member reached the office of the Assistant Commissioner of Police at 3 pm.
Santosh Rao, who is the nephew of BRS president and former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), visited KCR’s residence in Nandi Nagar, Hyderabad, before heading to the ACP office.
The SIT is expected to question Santosh Rao regarding the appointment of T. Prabhakar Rao as the head of the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) during the BRS government, along with other related matters.
The notice issued states that the investigation found Santosh Rao familiar with the facts and circumstances of the case, making his examination necessary for the ongoing probe.
The case relates to allegations of phone tapping of political opponents, businessmen, journalists, and even judges during the previous BRS government’s tenure.
Santosh Rao is the third top BRS leader and close relative of KCR to be summoned by the SIT in the past week.
On January 23, the SIT questioned KCR’s son and BRS executive president KT Rama Rao for over seven hours, while on January 20, KCR’s nephew and former minister T. Harish Rao was also interrogated.
Both Rama Rao and Harish Rao have condemned the SIT notices served to Santosh Rao. Rama Rao referred to the phone tapping investigation as a complete failure and likened it to a television serial drama.
Rama Rao alleged that opposition leaders not involved in the case were being summoned out of political vendetta, while responsible officials were being spared. He also claimed the notices were an attempt by the state government to divert public attention from corruption charges.
Earlier, the SIT had questioned BRS MLC K. Naveen Rao and former MLAs Jaipal Yadav and C. Lingayya in connection with the case.
The SIT also examined central Home Minister Bandi Sanjay, BJP MPs Etala 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 complainants.
The phone tapping controversy surfaced in March 2024 when an FIR was registered at Panjagutta Police Station under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act, and the Information Technology Act.
It is alleged that a special team was set up within the Special Intelligence Bureau during the BRS government to tap the phones of multiple individuals.
T. Prabhakar Rao, former head of the SIB, is the main accused in the case. Other accused include Deputy Superintendent of Police D. Praneeth Rao, Additional SP Tirupatanna, N. Bhujanga Rao, former DCP Radha Kishan Rao, and television channel owner Shravan Kumar.
My name is Bhupendra Singh Chundawat. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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