Union Minister To Appear Before Special Investigation Team In Telangana Phone-Tapping Case

Union Minister Bandi Sanjay and his staff are set to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Telangana phone-tapping case on August 8. The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs will be deposing as a witness and is expected to provide evidence he has gathered from central intelligence agencies, including information on the alleged tapping of phones belonging to judges and private citizens. Sanjay's appearance comes after he was unable to meet with the SIT on an earlier date due to the Parliament session.

In a significant development related to the case, the Supreme Court has extended the interim protection from arrest to T Prabhakar Rao, the former chief of the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB). The court's order, issued on May 29, 2025, had directed Mr Rao to return to India from the United States and cooperate with the investigation. The court had instructed that his passport be made available to him and had barred the police from taking any coercive action against him until the next hearing. The court's interim relief, which was initially granted until August 5, 2025, has since been extended as the hearing was deferred.

The Supreme Court's order was given despite opposition from both the central and state governments, which argued that granting relief to an individual who had been declared a "proclaimed offender" would set a wrong precedent. The court, however, took the view that a prolonged extradition process was unnecessary when the accused was willing to return and cooperate with the investigation.

The BJP's legal cell has already filed a case in the High Court, demanding that the investigation be transferred to the CBI. The party is also preparing for a national-level discussion on the issue and is persistent in its demand for a CBI probe.

The SIT's investigation has intensified with key officials reportedly making incriminating statements. Former Task Force officer Radha Kishan Rao allegedly told the SIT that phone tapping was carried out on the instructions of "peddayina" (the elder), an apparent reference to former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. Another official, G Praneeth Rao, is accused of destroying crucial hard disks containing evidence of phone tapping just before the assembly election results were announced.

The SIT is investigating allegations of widespread illegal phone surveillance during the previous BRS government in Telangana. Several individuals, including former police officials, have been arrested and questioned in the case.