Former Telangana SIB chief T Prabhakar Rao surrenders in connection with phone-tapping case

HYDERABAD: Former Telangana Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) chief T Prabhakar Rao surrendered before the Jubilee Hills police station in connection with the phone-tapping case.

Earlier on Thursday, the Supreme Court ordered him to surrender before ACP P Venkatgiri, SIT, at Jubilee Hills Police Station, by 11 am for custodial interrogation.

“This is for the purpose of further investigation into the offences alleged against the petitioner herein in accordance with the law. Liberty is reserved to the petitioner herein to have food from his home as well as medication regularly during the interregnum period,” the order by the two-judge bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan read.

The phone-tapping case revolves around allegations of widespread phone tapping of political leaders, including Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, during the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government led by K Chandrashekar Rao.

In March 2024, Former SIB DSP Praneeth Rao, Additional SPs Bhujanga Rao, and Thirupathanna were arrested in the phone tapping case.

Additionally, SIT also grilled former Task Force DCP Radhakishan Rao for over 10 hours and arrested him.

Last year, the case had sparked a political row in the state, with BRS leader KT Rama Rao sending legal notices to Congress leaders Konda Surekha, Yennam Srinivas Reddy, and KK Mahender Reddy for allegedly making remarks that the former has a role in the phone tapping case.

The notices demand an apology within a week for the false accusations made against him, which allegedly tarnished his reputation, failing which “legal action” will be initiated.

This led to a war of words between KTR and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy over allegations. BRS working president KTR had earlier claimed that phone-tapping, if it had happened, could have been limited to a couple of people”.

Responding to the ‘phone tapping’ remarks, CM Revanth Reddy warned that anyone who was involved in the phone tapping under the previous government would be sent to jail. (ANI)