Hyderabad, Jan 23:
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged phone-tapping case on Friday questioned Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president and former Telangana minister K. T. Rama Rao for over seven hours. Rama Rao was examined at the Jubilee Hills Police Station before returning to the party headquarters, Telangana Bhavan.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar, who is supervising the SIT, said in a statement that Rama Rao was questioned in detail and all relevant aspects of the case were elicited. “The information obtained is being analysed along with the evidence on record. He has been instructed not to contact or influence any witnesses and has been informed that he may be summoned again if required,” Sajjanar said.
The Police Commissioner clarified that the examination was conducted strictly in connection with a case registered in 2024 pertaining to allegations of widespread unauthorised and illegal telephone surveillance. The alleged surveillance reportedly involved thousands of citizens, including politicians, businesspersons, journalists, members of the judiciary, and other prominent individuals.
Sajjanar also dismissed claims circulating in certain sections of the media that the phone interceptions were carried out on security grounds. He termed such narratives misleading and baseless, stressing that the SIT is conducting the probe in a fair, professional, and lawful manner, without being influenced by external speculation.
After returning to Telangana Bhavan, Rama Rao addressed party leaders and cadres, describing the investigation as a “calculated diversionary tactic” by the Congress-led state government. He alleged that investigative agencies were being used to create public “entertainment” and divert attention from administrative failures and unfulfilled election promises.
KTR said he fully cooperated with the SIT during the seven-and-a-half-hour questioning, responding to all queries. However, he criticised the process as repetitive and lacking substance, claiming officials read out hundreds of names without producing concrete evidence.
He further alleged that the SIT failed to explain persistent media leaks that, according to him, have targeted BRS leaders and their families over the past two years. Rama Rao also questioned the government’s silence on allegations of ongoing surveillance under the present regime, asserting that phone tapping has continued and even expanded within government circles.
