Phone tapping case: Court issues ultimatum to ex-SIB chief

Hyderabad: A Metropolitan Magistrate court in Hyderabad on Wednesday, May 21 asked former Special Investigation Bureau (SIB) chief T Prabhar Rao, accused in the phone tapping case to appear before it by June 20.

In case, Rao fails to appear before the court, he will be declared a proclaimed offender. In January 2025, the Hyderabad police filed two petitions before the Nampally court seeking permission to begin the process of declaring both Prabhakar Rao and another accused, A Sravan Kumar Rao, as proclaimed offenders. The police stated that both were absconding abroad, ignoring official notices, and evading arrest.

Kumar approached the Supreme Court and agreed to appear before the special investigations team, on the condition that he wouldn’t be arrested.

The Nampally court allowed the police to proceed with the proclamation against Prabhakar Rao and set June 20 as the final date for his voluntary appearance. If he fails to comply, the court may conduct the trial in his absence after 90 days from the framing of charges.

According to a report by DC, the court also reserved its order on a petition filed by the Central Crime Station (CCS) police seeking seven days’ custody of Sravan Kumar in connection with a cheating case. The complaint was filed by Akarsh Krishna, director of Akhand Infratech India Private Ltd, who alleged that Sravan Kumar and his associates cheated the company of over Rs 6.58 crore under the pretext of purchasing iron ore. The police sought seven days’ custody of Sravan Kumar to examine him.