Phone Tapping case: BRS chief KCR to appear before SIT amidst statewide protests

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], February 1 (ANI): Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Chief and former Chief Minister of Telangana K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) on Sunday left his Erravalli farmhouse and is headed to his Hyderabad residence to participate in questioning by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the phone tapping case.
This comes after the SIT probing the phone tapping case on January 30 issued fresh notices to former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR). Several BRS leaders, including KCR's son, KT Rama Rao, and nephew, T Harish Rao were earlier questioned by the SIT in connection with the case.
A heavy police presence was deployed at KCR's Nandi Nagar residence in Hyderabad ahead of the scheduled 3 pm questioning.
Further in response to the SIT probe, the BRS called for statewide protests, with party workers donning black badges as a mark of dissent against the Telangana government. Demonstrations were staged across the state, highlighting the party's opposition to questioning its chief in the alleged phone-tapping case.

The phone-tapping case came to light after former DCP P Radhakrishna Rao alleged that telephones belonging to media industry bigwigs, retired cops, and politicians were monitored during the BRS government tenure. He alleged it was done to monitor then-Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's political rivals.
Chandrashekar Rao wrote to P Venkatagiri, Assistant Commissioner of Police, in the ongoing alleged phone-tapping case, stating that he would be available at 3 pm tomorrow for questioning.
He asserted that the notice served on him was illegal. In his letter dated January 30, 2026, KCR claimed that the notice was not served in accordance with legal requirements, described it as "illegal", and stated that he could "simply ignore the same".He argued that the service of the notice violated his dignity under Article 21 and his right to equality under Article 14 of the Constitution of India.
He wrote, "The alleged letter dated 30.1.2026 is not served as required by law, and the same is illegal, and I can simply ignore the same. Further, such service violates my dignity guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and Article 14 of the Constitution of India. Notwithstanding the above legal position, I being a former Chief Minister for the State of Telangana and present Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and also as a responsible citizen of this country in order to assist the department in the investigation of the subject crime, I would be available for my examination at 3 pm on 01.02.2026 at Nandi Nagar residence as you are keen to record my statement there only." (ANI)