Hyderabad: Senior counsel Umamaheshwar Rao for A-2 Radhakishan Rao in the second phone-tapping case contended in the Telangana HC on Friday that FIR 1205/2024 was a well orchestral conduct of the Panjagutta police in including the petitioner in the FIR with oblique motive.

He argued that the first FIR in the case was registered in the Panjagutta PS as also the second FIR and the offence was the same,“phone-tapping” . There cannot be two FIRs for the same offence, he said, substantiating his contention by placing reliance on judgment rendered by Justice K. Lakshman in Jakka Vinod Kumar Reddy and another Vs. Telangana and other SC judgments.

Justice Lakshman adjudicated the criminal petition filed by Radhakishan Rao, former DCP Task Force, seeking directions to quash the proceedings in the case filed by de facto complainant Gadhagoni Chakradhar Goud.

Umamaheshwar Rao further argued that Radhakishan Rao was arrested in the first phone-tapping case (on a complaint by SIB at Panjagutta PS) on March 29, 2024 After serving imprisonment for more than 10 months, he was released on bail on January 30, 2025. Subsequently, all the other accused, Bhujanga Rao, Mekala Thirupathanna and Praneeth Kumar also got bail. The other two accused, T Prabhakar Rao, former SIB chief and Sravan Kumar, A-6 were absconding.

The counsel contended that the government and the police were fighting tooth and nail to send Radhakishan Rao to prison again by registering the second FIR. The FIR was not registered until Rao was out on bail in the first phone-tapping case. This showed malice of the government and the police in meticulously planning to ensure that Rao lands in prison again in the second case.

Palle Nageshwar Rao, Public Prosecutor, informed the court that Rao was picked up by Prabhakar Rao to work again as OSD as he belongs to the same cast; he has access to Prabhakar Rao since 2017.

The only reason for picking up Rao by Prabhakar Rao was that he will execute any work entrusted by higher officials because he hails from same caste of CM KCR

Adhering to orders of the then SIB chief Prabhakar Rao, Rao violated the Indian Telegraph Act, 1984 by resorting to illegal phone tapping of various politicians, bureaucrats. This was agreed upon by Rao, in his statement given before the IO Further, the PP said statements of 15 witnesses, though, a charge-sheet was filed. But for FSL report, which was sent later, another supplementary charge-sheet will be filed. The IO was yet to complete the investigation. Under these circumstances, he opposed Rao’s petition. Orders in the case were reserved.