Hyderabad: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), during its interrogation of BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao in the alleged phone-tapping case, sought to know from the former chief minister why illegal surveillance was mounted not only on then opposition leader A Revanth Reddy but also on KCR’s nephew and Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao between 2018 and 2019.While KCR reportedly denied any knowledge of the alleged illegal surveillance, investigators reportedly produced evidence to corroborate their claims. It is learnt that officials showed KCR documentary evidence gathered during the investigation, including phone numbers linked to key political leaders such as Revanth Reddy, Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, Eatala Rajender, and Harish Rao that were allegedly tapped by senior officials then working in the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB). Eatala’s phone was reportedly under surveillance when he was in the BRS and continued after he joined the BJP. Rejecting the claims of the investigators, KCR said that he was the one who led the fight for a separate state of Telangana, adding that he believed in value-based politics and never supported any illegal acts. “In case someone in the SIB committed any excesses without my knowledge, it is unfortunate,” the former chief minister reportedly told investigators in the course of the investigation. Investigators reportedly questioned KCR in detail about his role in giving an extension to T Prabhakar Rao as SIB chief, besides entrusting him the authority to tap phones. The investigators said that as per the Indian Telegraph Act, only a serving police officer at the rank of inspector general (IG) can be entrusted the authority to supervise phonetaps. “Prabhakar was ineligible to be entrusted this responsibility as he had already retired from service,” sources claimed.Earlier, during their interrogation of Siddipet MLA Harish Rao, investigators reportedly informed him that his own phone was under illegal surveillance during 2018-19. However, Harish Rao reportedly raised doubts over the credibility of the allegations made by the police officials.Meanwhile, the SIT is gearing up to file a supplementary chargesheet in the case based on the evidence gathered over the course of its investigation. It remains to be seen whether more names would be added as accused in the upcoming supplementary chargesheet.
