KCR seeks more time to appear before SIT, citing municipal polls

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (BRS) chief and former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) has responded to the Special Investigation Team ( SIT ) notices, stating that he will not be able to appear immediately due to ongoing municipal election responsibilities. He mentioned that he is busy finalizing the lists of candidates and requested that the SIT provide an alternative date for questioning. KCR also suggested that the inquiry be conducted at his residence in Erravalli. This statement comes a day after the SIT served him the notice on Thursday.

The SIT is probing the alleged phone-tapping scandal that dates back to the previous BRS government. Telangana police, acting decisively, have already interrogated and arrested officials linked to the case. The SIT has now turned its focus on senior BRS leaders , including KCR, issuing him a notice for questioning on January 30 . As KCR is over 65 years old, the notice stated that under Section 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code ( CrPC ), he may appear either at the Jubilee Hills police station or at a location of his convenience in Hyderabad.

Earlier in the investigation, BRS Working President and KCR’s son, K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) , appeared before the SIT on January 23, while senior MLA T. Harish Rao was questioned on January 20. Former MP Joginapally Santosh Reddy and several other BRS leaders have also been questioned in recent weeks.

The case involves allegations that during the previous BRS government, politicians, businessmen, journalists, and members of the judiciary were subjected to illegal phone tapping. Telangana’s former Intelligence Chief T. Prabhakar Rao , identified as a key accused, has already been interrogated by the SIT. Additionally, four police officers, including a suspended DSP from the Special Intelligence Bureau ( SIB ), were arrested by Hyderabad police in March 2024 for tampering with intelligence data and involvement in illegal phone tapping. They were later granted bail .

Equality Before the Law

Speaking to the media in Delhi, Congress MP Mallu Ravi emphasized that the SIT is acting strictly based on evidence collected during the investigation. He added that everyone is equal before the law, and KCR’s summoning is part of the ongoing legal inquiry .