Hyderabad: Former Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) chief Prabhakar Rao on Monday dismissed allegations linking him to the phone tapping scandal that has rocked Telangana politics, telling the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that he had no role in authorising the surveillance operations.
Appearing before the SIT in Hyderabad, Rao maintained that he had never issued any orders to tap phones, insisting that he had no connection to the alleged surveillance activities. “Show me the evidence that I gave such orders,” he challenged the investigators, deflecting questions with his own pointed queries.
Rao’s line of defence leaned heavily on procedural arguments. He pointed out that a review committee oversees phone tapping operations and stated categorically that he had never been a member of that committee. “If there is a review committee, why haven’t its members been involved in this case?” he demanded.
In a statement recorded during questioning, Rao reminded the SIT that he had resigned from his post on December 4, 2023, at 4 pm hours before reports emerged that hard disks related to the case had been destroyed that same night at 8 pm. “That incident has nothing to do with me,” he insisted.
Rao’s testimony reflects his broader strategy of denying any direct involvement, while questioning the SIT’s line of inquiry. Sources said that his refusal to give direct answers and his habit of responding with counter-questions was a hallmark of Monday’s interrogation session.
With the phone tapping case still unfolding, Rao’s grilling by the SIT has added another layer of intrigue to a saga that has already shaken public confidence in the state’s intelligence apparatus.
