Published Feb 01, 2026 | 10:30 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 01, 2026 | 10:30 PM
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. (Twitter)
Synopsis: A Special Investigation Team of the Hyderabad Police on Sunday questioned former Telangana Chief Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao for about four and a half hours at his Hyderabad residence in connection with the alleged phone tapping case. KCR reportedly denied ordering any surveillance, saying he only received routine intelligence briefings as Chief Minister.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Hyderabad Police on Sunday, 1 February, questioned former Telangana Chief Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) for about four and a half hours at his Nandinagar residence in connection with the phone tapping scandal.
A six-member SIT team, led by Joint Commissioner of Police SM Vijaya Kumar, questioned KCR based on confessions and statements from key accused in the case, including former Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) chief T Prabhakar Rao.
The questioning began around 3 pm in a room on the second floor of the residence and was recorded using audio and video equipment.
According to sources familiar with the proceedings, the police confronted KCR with call detail records that show frequent contact between the accused officers and the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) during the relevant period.
The BRS chief’s questioning follows that of other senior party leaders, including KT Rama Rao on 23 January and Harish Rao on 20 January.
KCR reportedly denied issuing any instructions to tap the phones of political leaders, opponents or others. He said that, as Chief Minister, he routinely received intelligence reports from the department but never sought specific information from any officer or directed surveillance operations.
After the session concluded, KCR met family members, including his son and former minister KT Rama Rao, nephew T Harish Rao, and others present at the residence.
Heavy police deployment and barricades were in place around Nandinagar. At the same time, BRS supporters staged protests across Telangana, including rallies, road blockades and marches, accusing the Congress government of “political harassment” and “vendetta”.
KCR had arrived at the residence from his Erravalli farmhouse in Siddipet district, where party workers had gathered to show support. The SIT had earlier rejected his request to be questioned at the farmhouse and directed him to appear at his Hyderabad residence instead.
The alleged scandal dates back to the tenure of the BRS government led by KCR. It first came to light in early 2024 after the confession of former Deputy Commissioner of Police P Radhakishan Rao, who headed a specialised task force in the Hyderabad Police.
Radhakishan Rao alleged that a dedicated team within the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) carried out widespread illegal interception of phone conversations. The targets included opposition leaders, political rivals, business figures, journalists, members of the judiciary and even associates of the ruling party.
The alleged surveillance began before the 2018 Assembly elections and continued through subsequent polls, including the 2023 Assembly elections. According to investigators, the operations were used to monitor dissent, suppress protests, settle civil disputes, threaten individuals and gather political intelligence.
The key accused alongside Prabhakar Rao are P Radhakishan Rao, Inspector D Praneeth Kumar, who handled technical monitoring, and Additional SP Bhujanga Rao.
The case was registered after the Congress government assumed power in December 2023, leading to the formation of an SIT.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
