KCR is not above law, says TPCC chief on Telangana phone tapping case

Hyderabad: After an intense grilling session by the Telangana Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) supremo and former chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) on Sunday, February 1, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President, Mahesh Kumar Goud, said KCR is not above the law.

KCR was questioned by the SIT for nearly five-hours at his Banjara Hills residence in Hyderabad. His nephew and former Rajya Sabha MP Jogipally Santosh Rao was present during the examination.

This was condemned by his son and Working President KT Rama Rao (KTR) and former irrigation minister T Harish Rao.

Addressing the media at Gandhi Bhavan, he took a swipe at the pink party, saying, “The party should be called Blackmail Rashta Samithi.”

Goud presented examples of other state chief ministers, including BS Yeddiyurappa and Siddaramaiah from Karnataka, Shibu Soren from Jharkhand and Mayawati from Uttar Pradesh, who were imprisoned for their involvement in various cases. “Anyone who violates will face punishment, including jail. This is irrespective of the status or stature,” he said.

KCR questioned in phone tapping case

Goud’s remark came after KCR was questioned by the SIT in the alleged phone tapping case. The inquiry began at 3:00 pm following their arrival at the veteran leader’s residence in Nandinagar.

The case pertains to allegations of widespread unauthorised and illegal phone surveillance and interception involving politicians, businessmen, journalists, members of the judiciary, and other prominent individuals during the previous BRS government.

KTR, T Harish Rao and J Santosh Kumar have appeared before the SIT on January 23, January 20, and January 27, respectively, in connection with the case.

Former Telangana intelligence chief T Prabhakar Rao, the prime accused in the case, has already been questioned by the SIT.

A suspended DSP of the Telangana Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) was among four police officials arrested by Hyderabad Police since March 2024 for allegedly erasing intelligence information from electronic devices and for alleged phone-tapping during the previous BRS regime. They were subsequently granted bail.