Former Irrigation Minister and Siddipet MLA T. Harish Rao has been summoned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the alleged illegal phone tapping case.
According to a copy of the notice, the SIT stated that the investigation had indicated that the MLA was aware of certain facts and circumstances linked to the case. He has been asked to appear before the team on January 20.
The Telangana government had recently constituted a 10-member Special Investigation Team, headed by Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar, to expedite the investigation into the phone tapping case, nearly 21 months after the crime was registered.
Jubilee Hills Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) P. Venkatagiri, who has been associated with the probe from its early stages, has been appointed as the investigating officer (IO) of the SIT.
The case relates to allegations that phones were illegally intercepted through the Special Intelligence Branch to benefit the Bharat Rashtra Samithi. The issue came to light after the arrest of former SIB Deputy Superintendent of Police Praneeth Rao on March 13, 2024. He was taken into custody from his residence in Rajanna Sircilla district following a complaint by his superior, Additional Superintendent of Police D. Ramesh, accusing him of unauthorised interception of the calls of several senior political leaders and government officials.
Published – January 19, 2026 11:56 pm IST
