Harish Rao appears before SIT in phone tapping probe

Former Minister and Siddipet MLA, T. Harish Rao, appeared before the Special Investigation Team on Tuesday (January 20, 2026) for questioning in connection with the phone tapping case. Heavy police deployment was in place in and around the office in Hyderabad as he arrived for the enquiry.

Mr. Rao arrived at the Jubilee Hills Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) office around 11 a.m. Sources said advocates accompanying Mr. Rao were not allowed inside the ACP’s office. The questioning follows summons issued by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which stated that its probe had indicated the MLA was aware of certain facts and circumstances linked to the case and required his examination.

The Telangana Government recently constituted a 10-member Special Investigation Team, headed by Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar, to expedite the investigation, nearly 21 months after the case was registered. The case pertains to allegations that phones were illegally intercepted through the Special Intelligence Branch to benefit the Bharat Rashtra Samithi.

The case came to light after the arrest of former SIB Deputy Superintendent of Police, Praneeth Rao, on March 13, 2024. He was taken into custody from his residence in Rajanna Sircilla district following a complaint by his superior, Additional Superintendent of Police D. Ramesh, who accused him of unauthorised interception of the calls of several senior political leaders and government officials.