Phone-tapping case: Police issues fresh notice to KCR for examination on Feb 1

The SIT probing allegations of phone tapping during the previous BRS regime in Telangana on Friday declined the former chief miniser K Chandrasekhar Raos request to question him at his place of residing at Yerravelli near here, and directed him to appear for examination at his Hyderabad address on February 1.

The SIT probing allegations of phone tapping during the previous BRS regime in Telangana on Friday declined the former chief miniser K Chandrasekhar Rao's request to question him at his 'place of residing' at Yerravelli near here, and directed him to appear for examination at his Hyderabad address on February 1. The SIT pasted its reply to KCR's representation, on a wall at his Banjara Hills residence here Friday night. In the reply, the SIT informed him that the notice issued to him on January 29 at his (Banjara Hills) residence, as mentioned in the official records, was duly received. The SIT pointed out that KCR had sent his representation after receipt of the notice. As per the mandate of Section 160 CrPC, those acquainted with the facts of the case may be required to attend the examination within the jurisdiction of the concerned or adjoining police station, it said. The investigating agency, to balance the interest of investigation and having due consideration to KCR's age and in line with statutory provisions, had voluntarily offered to examine him at his residence as per official records, it said. ''The request for examination at a place which is not your residence as per official records cannot be acceded to, as the venue of examination is determined with reference to the ordinary place of residence reflected in official records,'' the SIT said. The SIT added that it would be administratively difficult to transport many electronic and physical records which are sensitive in nature to Yerravelli village near here. The SIT told KCR to make himself available at his Banjara Hills residence in Hyderabad for examination at 3 PM on February 1. KCR on January 29 sought his examination to be conducted at his ''place of residing'' (farmhouse) at Yerravelli village near here. Though the SIT sought to examine KCR on January 30, he asked for a fresh date for his examination as he was pre-occupied with the process of nominations for the coming municipal elections. KCR's son and BRS Working President K T Rama Rao on January 29 hit out at the Congress government over the notice issued to his father, terming the notice as vendetta. State Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud has said there is no political vendetta in the issue and that two and a half years have already passed since Congress assumed power in the state. Earlier, K T Rama Rao and his cousin T Harish Rao appeared before the SIT on January 23 and January 20 respectively, in connection with the case. That apart, some other BRS leaders were among those who were recently summoned and questioned by the SIT. The case relates to allegations of widespread unauthorised and illegal phone surveillance and interception involving politicians, businessmen, journalists, members of the judiciary and eminent personalities. 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 the four police officials 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.

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