SIT grills KTR for 7 hrs in phone-tapping case

Hyderabad: Amid tight security, former minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president KT Rama Rao appeared before the Jubilee Hills Police on Friday for questioning in connection with the investigation into the sensational case relating to alleged unauthorised widespread phone-tapping during the erstwhile BRS regime. KTR was grilled for nearly seven hours.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the case issued a notice to Rama Rao on Thursday, directing him to present himself for inquiry on Friday. Complying with the notice, KTR arrived at the Jubilee Hills Assistant Commissioner of Police office for questioning.

The notice, issued under Section 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code, states that during the probe, it came to the notice of the Investigating Officer that K T Rama Rao is acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case, and, hence, his personal examination is necessary for the investigation.

On Friday, while KT Rama Rao was on the way to the Jubilee Hills ACP office, many BRS party cadre followed his vehicle expressing solidarity with him, leading to a commotion. He was allowed to enter the police station alone, while party leaders, including former minister T Harish Rao, were stopped outside. To prevent any law and order issues, the Jubilee Hills Police had made adequate arrangements at the police station, with senior officials monitoring the situation.

As per sources, during the interrogation, the SIT focused on the financial transactions of the BRS party, particularly because KTR serves as the party’s working president.

After the interrogation, the BRS working president said he had fully cooperated with the SIT investigation. He claimed that he asked the officials about the rumours that phones of film heroines were tapped, and the police denied it.

For context, former Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) chief T Prabhakar Rao’s team has been accused of threatening traders and collecting funds through electoral bonds.

According to investigators, KT Rama Rao was one of the few whose phone was not under surveillance by the SIB under the BRS regime. It is alleged that the SIB had tapped the phones of several people, including political opponents, under the guise of surveillance against Naxalism.

According to a complaint lodged by S Sreedhar Rao, Managing director of Sandhya Conventions, he was allegedly threatened and compelled to provide electoral bonds amounting to Rs 12 crore to the BRS party, along with an extra Rs 3 crore to a panchayat.

Several other traders have also lodged similar complaints.

There have been reports of threats directed at traders, film stars, and political figures following phone-tapping.

It appears that SIT officials grilled KT Rama Rao in connection with the allegations made by Sridhar Rao.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad City Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar, who heads the SIT, stated that in connection with the ongoing investigation into the phone-tapping case, K T Rama Rao appeared before the SIT and was examined in detail.

Further, the Commissioner stated, on Friday Rama Rao was questioned solely in connection with the illegal phone surveillance and interception involving thousands of citizens from all walks of life, including politicians, businesspersons, journalists, members of the judiciary, and eminent personalities. He was instructed not to contact or influence any of the witnesses and informed that he may be summoned again, if required.

The Commissioner stated that the investigation is being conducted strictly in accordance with law, fairly and professionally. Sajjanar requested the media not to propagate or circulate unverified or misleading information and to rely only on facts placed on record through lawful and official channels.

Earlier this week, former minister and BRS MLA Harish Rao was questioned in connection with the phone-tapping case as well. The MLA underwent a seven-hour interrogation by the nine-member SIT.