Latest news with #TPrabhakarRao
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Phone tapping probe: Ex-SIB chief Prabhakar Rao keeps mum on naming top officials, Hyderabad cops may seek SC nod for custodial grilling
T Prabhakar Rao, key accused in the phone tapping case, is not cooperating with the investigation. He is refusing to name involved officials and political leaders. Hyderabad police might seek revocation of his arrest protection. HYDERABAD: Former chief of Special Intelligence Bureau, T Prabhakar Rao, the prime accused in the sensational phone tapping case, has so far stonewalled investigators by refusing to name senior IPS officers or political leaders allegedly involved during the previous BRS regime. Though he hinted that certain actions were carried out in coordination with top officials, Prabhakar Rao has remained tight-lipped on specifics, prompting Hyderabad police to consider seeking revocation of his Supreme Court-granted arrest protection. With Prabhakar Rao allegedly not providing leads crucial to cracking the case, police plan to continue questioning him for a few more days. A final decision will soon be taken on approaching the apex court, which had earlier given him interim relief from arrest. Officials are likely to inform the court of his non-cooperation and request permission to proceed with custodial interrogation. So far, he has been interrogated three times. Other than referring to a letter from the then director general of police recommending his reappointment post-retirement-citing his experience in anti-Maoist operations-he has remained evasive, particularly when asked about the core allegations of surveillance. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Поза во сне может многое рассказать о вашем характере! Удивительные Новости Undo He has refused to name the senior officers or political leadership allegedly involved in the phone tapping. Investigators suspect that Prabhakar Rao was instrumental in setting up the now-disbanded special operations team (SOT), headed by then deputy superintendent of police D Praneeth Rao. The unit is believed to have tapped the phones of political opponents, including current chief minister A Revanth Reddy, senior BJP leaders, and dissidents within the BRS to help the ruling party during elections. Meanwhile, after taking the witness statements of different phone tapping victims including Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Mahesh Kumar Goud, the investigators are going to take the statements of BJP MPs Eatala Rajender and M Raghunandan Rao, Haryana governor Bandaru Dattatreya, minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Congress leader Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy are among those expected to be questioned. CM Revanth and his family members, whose phones were reportedly under surveillance, may also be asked to depose. "Based on the phone numbers identified, police will reach out to those affected and collect detailed accounts of any harassment or damage-financial, legal, or personal-suffered due to the surveillance," sources familiar with the investigation told TOI. "Their statements will help build a watertight case," a source said.
New Indian Express
02-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Telengana phone tapping case: Ex-SIB chief likely to return to India after SC grants interim protection from arrest
HYDERABAD: T Prabhakar Rao, the prime accused in the phone-tapping case and former chief of the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB), is likely to return to India in the coming days following interim protection granted by the Supreme Court. A few days ago, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) revoked his passport at the request of Telangana police. With the Supreme Court directing the police not to take any coercive action until further orders, the court also instructed authorities to facilitate his return by restoring his passport or issuing a travel document. Sources told TNIE that Prabhakar Rao is expected to visit the Indian Embassy in the US on Monday to apply for a one-time travel document using the Supreme Court's directive. Once issued, he will return to India and is expected to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case. The Panjagutta police registered the case on March 10, 2024. Prabhakar Rao left the country the following day and has remained in the US since. INTERPOL also issued a Red Corner Notice against him a few months ago. Meanwhile, Hyderabad police obtained a proclamation order from the Nampally court. If Rao fails to return by June 20, he will be officially declared a proclaimed offender. Notices have already been served at his residence and in his colony.
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Business Standard
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
SC grants interim protection to former SIB chief in phone tapping case
The Supreme Court on Thursday granted interim protection from coercive action to former chief of Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) in Telangana T Prabhakar Rao, an accused in the phone-tapping case. A bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma directed Rao to appear before the investigation officer, and said his passport be made available to him. Rao, the key accused in the phone-tapping case, is suspected to be in the US. A Red Corner Notice was issued against him and his passport was revoked, a police official said earlier. The top court also directed Rao to give an undertaking that he would return to India within three days after the receipt of his passport. During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and senior advocate Sidharth Luthra vehemently opposed the plea filed by Rao seeking anticipatory bail. The matter is posted for hearing on August 5. Rao has moved the top court challenging an order of the Telangana High Court which dismissed his plea seeking anticipatory bail. On May 22, a Hyderabad court has issued a proclamation order against Rao in the phone-tapping case. According to the order, Rao may be declared a "proclaimed offender" if he does not appear before the court by June 20. If a person is declared a proclaimed offender, the court can order attachment of properties of the accused. A suspended DSP of SIB was among four police officials who were 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. The accused are part of the alleged conspiracy in which they "misused" the resources of SIB for political purposes by putting citizens from different walks of life under surveillance, police had said. Those named as accused in the case along with others had allegedly developed profiles of several persons unauthorisedly and were accused of monitoring them clandestinely and illegally in SIB and using them in a partisan manner to favour a political party at the behest of some persons and also conspiracy in destroying the records to cause disappearance of evidence of their crimes, police earlier said.
Hindustan Times
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Phone-tapping case: SC grants interim protection from coercive action to former SIB chief
New Delhi, The Supreme Court on Thursday granted interim protection from coercive action to former chief of Special Intelligence Bureau in Telangana T Prabhakar Rao, an accused in the phone-tapping case. A bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma directed Rao to appear before the investigation officer, and said his passport be made available to him. Rao, the key accused in the phone-tapping case, is suspected to be in the US. A Red Corner Notice was issued against him and his passport was revoked, a police official said earlier. The top court also directed Rao to give an undertaking that he would return to India within three days after the receipt of his passport. During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and senior advocate Sidharth Luthra vehemently opposed the plea filed by Rao seeking anticipatory bail. The matter is posted for hearing on August 5. Rao has moved the top court challenging an order of the Telangana High Court which dismissed his plea seeking anticipatory bail. On May 22, a Hyderabad court has issued a proclamation order against Rao in the phone-tapping case. According to the order, Rao may be declared a "proclaimed offender" if he does not appear before the court by June 20. If a person is declared a proclaimed offender, the court can order attachment of properties of the accused. A suspended DSP of SIB was among four police officials who were 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. The accused are part of the alleged conspiracy in which they "misused" the resources of SIB for political purposes by putting citizens from different walks of life under surveillance, police had said. Those named as accused in the case along with others had allegedly developed profiles of several persons unauthorisedly and were accused of monitoring them clandestinely and illegally in SIB and using them in a partisan manner to favour a political party at the behest of some persons and also conspiracy in destroying the records to cause disappearance of evidence of their crimes, police earlier said.
New Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Telangana police seek deportation of phone tapping case accused Prabhakar Rao from US
HYDERABAD: Telangana police have reportedly approached the US Department of Homeland Security for the deportation of T Prabhakar Rao, the prime accused in the phone tapping case, through proper channels. He left the country a day after the case was registered at the Panjagutta police station in March 2024 and has remained abroad since. It is believed that the US authorities have been informed that Prabhakar's passport has been revoked and that he is now staying in the country illegally. Interpol has also issued a Red Corner Notice against him. It may be recalled that Prabhakar had applied for political asylum in the US. To counter this, the government reportedly submitted a detailed report to the American authorities, outlining his alleged role in illegally tapping the phones of political leaders, high court judges and other prominent individuals.
