HYDERABAD: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the phone-tapping case stepped up its inquiry on Thursday and questioned K Nanda Kumar, an accused in the ‘poachgate’ case in which an attempt was allegedly made to poach MLAs.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar held a meeting with SIT officials, attended by Intelligence chief Vijay Kumar and others, to discuss the summoning of politicians and additional witnesses. The investigation has been expedited, with the aim of filing a supplementary chargesheet within a month.
The SIT summoned all accused to Jubilee Hills police station on Thursday. Those called for questioning included Sravan Rao, Bhujanga Rao, Radhakishan Rao and Tirupathanna. As the 14-day police custody of Prabhakar Rao, former SIB chief and main accused in the phone-tapping case, ended on Thursday, investigators questioned all accused together.
According to sources, Prabhakar Rao responded in the negative to most questions. With his custody concluding, officials are set to submit a report to the Supreme Court on Friday. However, Prabhakar Rao named former DGP Mahender Reddy and Intelligence chiefs Naveen Chand and Anil during questioning, sources said. Investigators seized a pen drive allegedly containing around 6,000 phone numbers, but Prabhakar Rao reportedly did not respond to questions related to it.
He is said to have told the SIT that the then minister T Harish Rao spoke to him only on Maoist-related issues. He reportedly did not answer questions on the circumstances under which his re-employment was approved.
SIT also following money trail
The SIT is questioning former Task Force DCP Radhakishan Rao, Additional SP Tirupathanna and media house head Sravan Rao. Two days earlier, investigators had jointly questioned Praneeth Rao and Prabhakar Rao, and also examined Prabhakar Rao’s elder son, Nishanth Rao, regarding financial transactions. His statement was recorded.
All accused are currently being questioned except former DSP Praneeth Rao.
In another development, Deccan Kitchen owner Nanda Kumar was summoned by the SIT on Thursday in connection with the phone-tapping case. He was earlier arrested in the MLAs poaching case and later released on bail.
Investigators questioned him on the alleged attempts to poach BRS MLAs and the sequence of events in 2023. He was examined for about one and a half hours, and his statement was recorded.
Officials also verified the authenticity of audio clips earlier released by the then BRS government, which purportedly recorded conversations linked to the poaching attempt.
The alleged incident took place at a farmhouse in Moinabad on the outskirts of Hyderabad.