Former BRS MP Santosh Rao appears before SIT in phone-tapping case
Hyderabad, Jan 27 : Former MP of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Joginipally Santosh Rao on Tuesday appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the phone tapping case.
Santosh Rao, a former member of Rajya Sabha, reached the office of the Assistant Commissioner of Police at 3 p.m. as directed by the Investigation Officer.
Santosh Rao, who is the nephew of BRS President and former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), visited KCR’s house at Nandi Nagar in Hyderabad before leaving for the ACP's office.
The former MP is likely to be questioned by the SIT with regard to the appointment of T. Prabhakar Rao as the chief of Special Intelligence Bureau (CIB) during the BRS regime and other related matters.
The notice, issued under Section 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code, states that during the course of investigation, it came to the notice of the Investigating Officer that he is acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case, and hence his examination is necessary for the purpose of investigation.
The case relates to alleged tapping of phones of several political opponents, businessmen, journalists and even judges under the previous BRS government's tenure.
Santosh Rao is the third top leader and close relative of KCR to be summoned for questioning by the SIT during the last one week.
KCR’s son and BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao was questioned by the SIT for more than seven hours on January 23.
KCR’s nephew and former minister T. Harish Rao was questioned by the SIT on January 20.
Both Rama Rao and Harish Rao condemned SIT notices to Santosh Rao. Rama Rao termed the phone-tapping probe an utter-flop TV serial.
Rama Rao alleged that the Opposition leaders who have nothing to do with the case were being summoned out of political vendetta, while sparing the officials who were responsible.
He called the notices to BRS leader an attempt by the state government to divert public attention from allegations of corruption.
The SIT had earlier questioned BRS MLC K. Naveen Rao and former MLAs Jaipal Yadav and C. Lingaiah in the same case.
It also examined Union Minister of State for Home, Bandi Sanjay and BJP MPs Eatala 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 victims.
The phone tapping case surfaced in March 2024 and an FIR under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act and Information Technology Act was registered at Panjagutta Police Station in Hyderabad.
A special team was allegedly constituted in the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) during the BRS regime to tap phones of several individuals.
Former SIB chief Prabhakar Rao is the main accused in the case. Deputy Superintendent of Police D. Praneeth Rao, Additional SPs Thirupathanna and N. Bhujanga Rao, former DCP Radha Kishan Rao and a television channel owner Sravan Kumar are the other accused.