HYDERABAD: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Tuesday recorded the statement of former minister and BRS deputy floor leader T Harish Rao in connection with the alleged phone-tapping case. Harish Rao was examined under Section 160 of the CrPC at the Jubilee Hills police station.
According to sources, the questioning lasted close to eight hours and focused on alleged links with key accused in the case, including former Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) chief T Prabhakar Rao and A Shravan Rao, managing director of a vernacular television channel.
SIT officials reportedly questioned Harish on the sharing of several mobile numbers of Congress leaders ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections, his association with Shravan, and the frequency of his conversations with Prabhakar.
Sources said the investigators also sought clarification on whether an office had been set up in Jubilee Hills for survey-related work with Shravan Rao and whether it functioned under Harish’s guidance. Harish is said to have denied any such arrangement and stated that he had no links with Shravan or his establishments.
The SIT further questioned him on why Shravan had contacted him frequently and why certain phone numbers were allegedly shared with Shravan through WhatsApp. Harish reportedly asked the officers to produce records to substantiate the claim and maintained that no such sharing had taken place.
Investigators also questioned Harish about his alleged contacts with former Task Force DCP and accused P Radhakishan Rao and BRS MLC K Naveen Rao, seeking to establish any connection among them. Sources said Harish stated that he had no knowledge of the matter.
The SIT is also said to have raised queries related to certain electoral bonds allegedly linked to Radhakishan and
D Praneeth Rao, with allegations that businesspersons were pressured to contribute to the BRS. Harish reportedly denied any involvement and said he had no information about the bonds, adding that such decisions were taken by companies independently.
The SIT recorded his statement and concluded the inquiry around 7 pm. Harish later left the Jubilee Hills police station.
‘Release video recording of inquiry’
Meanwhile, tension prevailed outside the police station during the prolonged questioning, with BRS leaders staging a protest demanding an end to the examination. Police took some of the protesters into preventive custody. Harish said the questioning was limited and claimed that he, instead, raised several questions with the officers.
He also urged the SIT to investigate former DGP Mahender Reddy and the present DGP Shivadhar Reddy, who had earlier served as intelligence chief, stating that even home ministers during the BRS government had no role in phone tapping.
Harish demanded that the state government release the video recording of his inquiry and alleged that selective details were likely to be leaked to the media. He said he would not be deterred by notices and accused the Congress government, led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, of using the case for political purposes.