The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs asserted that the only phones not tapped during the BRS regime were those of KCR, his son KTR, and his nephew and former Rajya Sabha member Joginapalli Santosh Kumar.
Published Aug 08, 2025 | 5:38 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 08, 2025 | 7:21 PM
Sanjay claimed he was the “most phone tapped” leader in Telangana during the BRS government.
Synopsis: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Friday caused a sensation with explosive allegations that the Telangana Special Intelligence Bureau was misused by former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and BRS working president KT Rama Rao to tap the phones of thousands of individuals, not only for political intelligence but also for extortion during the previous government.
For the first time since an investigation into phone tapping scandal began in Telangana, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, on Friday, 8 August, dropped a bomb-shell.
He alleged that the then Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government tapped phones of its own leaders, including KCR’s daughter K Kavitha and her husband, former minister T Harish Rao and all other ministers and legislators.
Bandi Sanjay Kumar alleged that the Telangana Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) was misused by former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and BRS working president KT Rama Rao to tap the phones of thousands of individuals, not only for political intelligence but also for extortion.
He testified as a witness before a Special Investigative Team (SIT) on Friday, 8 August, which is probing allegations of large-scale illegal phone surveillance during the previous BRS regime.
Sanjay, speaking to the media later, claimed he was the “most phone tapped” leader in Telangana during the BRS government. He demanded that the case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for an impartial probe, alleging a nexus between the current Congress government and the BRS.
“Will anyone tap the phones of his own daughter and son-in-law? KCR and KTR had no work except using the information from phone tapping and amassing thousands of crores. They had collected money from politicians on the eve of elections, and also from businessmen. This is only what they have achieved in Telangana,” Sanjay said, adding that “the only phones that weren’t tapped during the BRS regime were those of KCR, his son KTR and nephew and former Rajya Sabha member Joginapalli Santosh Kumar”.
The phone-tapping case, which came to light in March 2024 after the BRS lost power to the Congress, has become a major political flashpoint in Telangana. But Sanjay’s revelations on Friday have caused a sensation, coming from a sitting Minister of State for Home Affairs.
The SIT constituted to probe the allegations has so far arrested four police officials – D Praneeth Rao, M Thirupathanna, N Bhujanga Rao and P Radhakishan Rao – all of whom are currently out on bail.
Prabhakar Rao, the prime accused, has been questioned multiple times since his return, with the Supreme Court extending his protection from arrest until 25 August 2025.
Other witnesses, including Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president B Mahesh Kumar Goud and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Eatala Rajender, have also deposed before the SIT.
Sanjay further alleged that both KCR and KTR monitored not only political opponents but also leaders within their own party, including BRS MLAs, senior leaders, and even KCR’s daughter K Kavitha and her husband.
“Even T Harish Rao, a senior BRS leader, was so paranoid about being tapped that he avoided using a phone for an entire year,” Sanjay said, describing the BRS leadership as “devoid of ethics” for allegedly spying on their own family members.
He further claimed that the surveillance extended to a High Court judge investigating the Telangana Public Service Commission question paper leak, businessmen, professors from Osmania University, film personalities, and even private conversations between spouses.
“The SIB was created to monitor Maoist activities, but KCR and KTR turned it into a tool for political espionage and extortion,” he said, adding that his own phone had been listed under Maoist numbers for surveillance, which he came to know from police investigators.
“I was shocked to know how many times my phone was tapped. I am the most tapped leader in Telangana,” he stated, adding that fear of surveillance drove many, including auto drivers, to use secure platforms such as WhatsApp, Signal or FaceTime.
KTR, responding to the allegations, termed them “cheap” insinuations and “third rated statements” and claimed that Sanjay, despite being a Minister of State, “lacked common sense” and was creating “drama on the streets.”
“Despite being MOS of Home, Bandi Sanjay neither has understanding of how intelligence works, nor has any basic common sense. His reckless statements have crossed a line. To insinuate such cheap allegations and make third rated statements has to be a new low, even for him. Bandi Sanjay, in his desperation for political relevance, resorted to what he does best – cheap drama on the streets!” he wrote in a post on X.
“I dare him to prove if there is even an iota of truth to the so-called phone tapping allegations. I will be serving a formal legal notice and if you don’t retract your statements and issue a public apology within the next 48 hours, I will drag you to the court of law. If only working as a responsible minister was as easy as carrying the chappal of Delhi Bosses.”
Despite being MOS of Home, Bandi Sanjay neither has understanding of how intelligence works, nor has any basic common sense
His reckless statements have crossed a line. To insinuate such cheap allegations and make third rated statements has to be a new low, even for him
Bandi…
— KTR (@KTRBRS) August 8, 2025
Sanjay accused the current Congress government, led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, of shielding BRS leaders despite earlier promises to investigate their alleged misdeeds.
He pointed out that Revanth, who was himself a victim of phone tapping during his tenure as Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president, has not yet appeared before the SIT to provide a statement.
Criticising Revanth’s recent remark that KCR need not go to jail but could stay at his farmhouse, Sanjay said it was a signal to probe agencies to go easy on KCR and KTR.
“This proves Congress and BRS are in league. For Congress, BRS has become an ATM, with the state government ordering inquiries into BRS misdeeds while BRS sends sacks of cash to Congress’s high command in Delhi,” he alleged.
Sanjay further claimed that despite multiple inquiries into financial irregularities during the BRS regime, including the Kaleshwaram project, no public representative from the party has been arrested.
“More than a year has passed since Congress came to power, yet no action has been taken against BRS leaders. This shows both parties are protecting each other,” he said.
The Union Minister singled out former SIB chief T Prabhakar Rao and task force chief P Radhakishan Rao, accusing them of going to any extent to please KCR.
He alleged that after the Congress came to power in December 2023, Prabhakar Rao fled to the United States but returned in June 2025 following Supreme Court directions.
Sanjay claimed that Prabhakar Rao, acting on KTR’s instructions, had seized ₹7 crore from a Congress Khammam MP candidate based on phone-tapping intelligence. He alleged that the money’s whereabouts remain unknown.
Reiterating his demand for a CBI inquiry, Sanjay said that only a central agency could ensure an objective probe, considering the scale of the scandal and the high-profile individuals allegedly involved.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
