Harish Rao introduced telephone tapping case accused to SIB chief, says PP

Telangana HC reserves order in Shravan Kumar bail plea. Public Prosecutor, opposing bail to the accused, said the petitioner gave the details of targeted persons, including a H.C. Judge, whose mobile phone conversations were secretly heard

Justice G. Radha Rani of Telangana High Court on Thursday (November 28, 2024) reserved orders in a criminal petition filed by A. Shravan Kumar Rao, sixth accused in telephone tapping case involving police officers who are accused of eavesdropping mobile phones of legislators, politicians and others. 

Public Prosecutor Palle Nageshwar Rao, opposing bail to the accused, said the petitioner gave the details of targeted persons, including a Judge of the High Court, whose mobile phone conversations were secretly heard by the accused persons. The PP said former Minister T. Harish Rao, who was in power then, introduced Shravan Kumar Rao to Special Intelligence Branch chief T. Prabhakar Rao (who is ‘absconding and hiding in the U.S. presently) before the 2023 Assembly elections. 

Sharath Kumar would often visit the SIB office, which was otherwise inaccessible to others since it was a wing gathering intelligence about left wing extremists and connected issues, and meet Prabhakar Rao to share details about the persons whose movements were monitored. The access to visit the SIB office without any hindrance was given to the accused since he was introduced by Harish Rao “as our man” to Prabhakar Rao, the PP said. 

Thus, the petitioner was the kingpin in the conspiracy of tapping mobile phone conversations and messages of targeted persons, Mr. Palle Nageshwar Rao said. The accused also used to speak with the then Hyderabad Police Commissioner’s Task Force chief Radha Kishan Rao, who was presently incarcerated having been arrested in the same case, to track movements of targeted persons, the PP said. 

Justice G. Radha Rani sought to know from the PP if the investigators were ready to question the petitioner if the court granted bail to Shravan Kumar and direct him to surrender before the police. The PP informed the Bench that he would secure instructions on the matter by Friday. Senior counsel Pappu Nageshwar Rao appearing for the petitioner contended that his client was residing in the U.S. apprehending arrest by the investigators in a false case. 

Shravan Kumar Rao was not a criminal but a political analyst working as managing director of I news Telugu tv channel, he said. Refuting the PP’s contentions that Shravan Kumar fled to the U.S. to evade arrest by the police, petitioner’s counsel read out his client details in the open court. The counsel gave details of Shravan Kumar’s present address in the U.S., his mobile phone number, WhatsApp number and email id. 

The Judge extended the interim bail granted to N. Bhujanga Rao, an Additional Superintendent of Police rank officer arrested in telephone tapping case, till December 4. The interim bail awarded to Rao was to expire on Thursday.

Rao’s counsel informed the court that the Supreme Court, which was hearing a petition filed by M. Thirupathanna, another police officer arrested in the case challenging the HC order dismissing his bail plea, adjourned the matter by two weeks. In this backdrop, the counsel sought extension of bail to Mr. Rao.

Published - November 29, 2024 12:12 pm IST