HYDERABAD: Former Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) chief and retired IPS officer T Prabhakar Rao, who is Accused No. 1 in the high-profile phone tapping case, has sought interim protection from arrest through an interlocutory application filed before the Telangana High Court. The petition, filed through his senior counsel T Niranjan Reddy, requests the court to grant an order of “not to arrest”, enabling Prabhakar Rao to return to India. The application was mentioned but not listed before Justice J Sreenivas Rao.
Citing a precedent, Niranjan Reddy argued that the Supreme Court had earlier granted interim protection from arrest to N Shravan Rao, A6 in the same case and a managing director of a news channel. The apex court had directed Shravan Rao to appear before the investigating officer while shielding him from arrest until the next date of hearing.
However, the state government, represented by senior counsel Siddharth Luthra, opposed the plea. He informed the court that Prabhakar Rao’s passport had been officially cancelled and a Red Corner Notice had been issued against him. In light of these developments, Luthra argued that the former IPS officer’s claim of willingness to return to India within a week was untenable and misleading. Given the circumstances and the pending interlocutory application, the high court adjourned the matter to April 25 for further hearing.