The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the phone tapping case has called Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader Joginapally Santosh Rao, a former MP from Telangana, for questioning on Tuesday. Santosh Rao, a former Rajya Sabha member, has been asked to appear before Assistant Commissioner of Police P. Venkatagiri at 11 a.m. The notice, issued under section 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code, states that his examination is necessary as he is familiar with the case’s facts and circumstances.
This case involves the alleged phone tapping of political opponents, businessmen, journalists, and judges during the previous BRS government’s tenure. Santosh Rao, who is the nephew of BRS president and former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), becomes the third high-ranking leader related to KCR to be summoned by the SIT in the past week. KCR’s son and BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao (KTR) was interrogated for over seven hours on January 23, while KCR’s nephew and former minister T. Harish Rao faced questioning on January 20.
The SIT has also questioned BRS MLC K. Naveen Rao, former MLAs Jaipal Yadav and C. Lingaiah, along with Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar, BJP MPs Eatala Rajender and M. Raghunandan Rao, TPCC president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud, and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s brother Kondal Reddy as witnesses/victims. The phone tapping case came to light in March 2024, leading to the registration of an FIR under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, and Information Technology Act at Panjagutta Police Station in Hyderabad.
Allegedly, a special team was formed in the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) during the BRS regime to tap the phones of several individuals. The main accused in the case is former SIB chief T. Prabhakar Rao, with other accused including Deputy Superintendent of Police D. Praneeth Rao, Additional SPs Thirupathanna and N. Bhujanga Rao, former DCP Radha Kishan Rao, and television channel owner Sravan Kumar.
