HYDERABAD: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the phone-tapping case, examined former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for close to four and a half hours at his Nandinagar residence in Hyderabad on Sunday.
The BRS president left the Erravalli farmhouse in the morning and reached his Hyderabad house in the afternoon, where a large number of police personnel were deployed.
After KCR reached Hyderabad, the SIT officials arrived at his residence with laptops, electronic equipment and other evidence.
He was quizzed by Joint CP (Special Branch) SM Vijay Kumar, Jubilee Hills ACP P Venkatagiri and other officials behind closed doors, while BRS working president KT Rama Rao and Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao were waiting in another room.
The SIT officials reportedly questioned KCR on the reappointment of T Prabhakar Rao as Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) and P Radha Kishan Rao as Task Force DCP after their retirement.
According to sources, the SIT officials reportedly asked whether KCR had ordered the accused to snoop on several politicians, businessmen and others ahead of the 2023 general elections, and why several individuals who funded the BRS through electoral bonds featured on the SIB’s snooping list.
The officials also reportedly questioned him over the 2022 MLAs poaching case. They also reportedly asked if he knew about the WhatsApp groups — KMR and POL 2023 — which the accused in the phone-tapping case used to share information during the 2023 elections.
Sources alleged that the accused targeted political parties and kept their leaders under surveillance. The KMR group specifically focused on Kamareddy constituency, where KCR, A Revanth Reddy, Katipally Venkata Ramana Reddy and others contested.
The former chief minister was also reportedly quizzed on Munugode and Huzurabad Assembly by-elections, whether he asked the accused to snoop on any individuals and whether he was aware that any person was under the surveillance of the police.
After the examination, KCR greeted a large number of party cadres waiting outside from the balcony of his residence.
It may be mentioned here that during the last fortnight, the SIT had questioned KT Rama Rao, Harish Rao and former MP Joginapally Santhosh Kumar Rao in this case. Following their questioning, the SIT on January 29 issued notices to KCR.
On January 31, the BRS chief said that police may examine him at his residence in Erravalli in Siddipet. The SIT issued another notice, rejecting his request and asked him to appear before them at his residence in Nandinagar.
Meanwhile, Hyderabad CP VC Sajjanar posted on X that the “SIT has concluded the questioning of Gajwel MLA and former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in connection with the illegal phone-tapping case”.