Bandi Sanjay Demands Summons for KCR in Telangana Phone-Tapping Case
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, a witness in the Telangana phone-tapping case, has demanded that former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) be summoned for questioning.
Hyderabad: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, a witness in the Telangana phone-tapping case, has demanded that former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) be summoned for questioning.
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He accused the current Congress government of shielding key figures from the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) regime.
“Why No Notices to KCR and KTR?” Asks Bandi Sanjay
Addressing media in Karimnagar, Bandi Sanjay questioned why BRS President KCR and his son, K.T. Rama Rao (KTR), have not yet been summoned despite the accused naming higher-ups in their statements. “Is there an internal understanding between Congress and BRS? Why are they protecting each other?” he asked.
Accused Officer Allegedly Acted on Directions from Top
Bandi referred to the statement of former DCP Radhakishan Rao, an accused in the case, who admitted that phone surveillance was conducted under instructions from higher authorities. He alleged that surveillance was carried out from Hyderabad and Sircilla, the constituency of KTR.
KTR’s US Trip Raises Questions
He further raised suspicion over KTR’s recent visit to the United States, which coincided with the return of former State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) chief Prabhakar Rao, the prime accused. Bandi alleged that the Congress government was deliberately soft on Rao and demanded that the case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for an impartial probe.
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Prabhakar Rao’s Role Under Scanner
Bandi Sanjay accused Prabhakar Rao, a former IPS officer, of orchestrating widespread phone tapping during the BRS regime. He claimed Rao even targeted BRS leaders, their family members, journalists, judges, businesspersons, and dissenters within the party.
He also alleged that his own arrest in the Class 10 exam paper leak case was engineered by Rao.
SIT Summons and Ongoing Probe
The Minister confirmed he had been called by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the case and will record his statement soon. He will be the second senior political figure to testify, after TPCC President Mahesh Kumar Goud, who appeared before SIT three days ago.
Prabhakar Rao Faces Fifth Day of Questioning
Prabhakar Rao has now appeared before the SIT for five consecutive days. Investigators are probing why such a large number of phones were tapped during the BRS rule. Rao allegedly set up a covert team within SIB to conduct the surveillance.
Background of the Case
The phone tapping allegations surfaced in March 2024, following BRS’s defeat in the state elections. Four police officials were arrested last year but later released on bail. Prabhakar Rao, who was abroad when the case broke, returned to India two weeks ago after a Supreme Court directive.
