Phone-tapping case: Prabhakar Rao surrenders before SIT in Hyderabad

Former Telangana Intelligence Chief T. Prabhakar Rao, the prime accused in the state’s high-profile phone-tapping case, surrendered before the Hyderabad Police on Friday following directions from the Supreme Court. He appeared at the Jubilee Hills Police Station around 11 a.m. and presented himself to the investigating officer. This comes a day after the Supreme Court allowed the police to take him into custody for a week for interrogation.

The phone-tapping case stems from allegations that, during the previous BRS government, resources of the Special Intelligence Bureau were misused for political purposes. According to investigators, several citizens from different professional backgrounds had their phones illegally monitored, and their personal information was collected without authorization. The police also claim that large volumes of electronic surveillance data were deliberately deleted and records destroyed in an attempt to erase evidence.

Since March 2024, Hyderabad Police have arrested four SIB officials in connection with the case, including a suspended DSP. All of them were later granted bail. As the investigation progressed, Prabhakar Rao sought anticipatory bail, but the Telangana High Court rejected his plea. He moved the Supreme Court, which had earlier granted him temporary protection from arrest in May, on the condition that he return to India within three days of receiving his passport.

A local Hyderabad court had also issued a proclamation notice in May, warning that if he did not appear by June 20, he would be declared a proclaimed offender, which could lead to attachment of his assets. Against this backdrop, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed Prabhakar Rao to surrender by Friday morning. The court also instructed the police to question him strictly according to legal procedure and allowed him access to home-cooked food and necessary medicines due to his health condition.

Following the fresh directions, Prabhakar Rao surrendered before the police, marking a significant turning point in the ongoing investigation. The SIT is expected to continue probing allegations of illegal surveillance, destruction of digital records, and other related activities. With Prabhakar Rao now in custody, the politically charged case has entered a critical new phase, drawing intense attention across Telangana’s political landscape.