KCR Yields to Police Pressure, Agrees to Questioning After Dramatic 'Notice on Wall' Incident
In a significant development that ends days of confrontation, former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has agreed to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for questioning in the alleged phone-tapping case. This decision comes after a dramatic standoff where police pasted a notice on the compound wall of his official residence, sparking legal and political controversy.
The Notice Drama and Legal Standoff
The confrontation began when KCR was initially asked to appear before the SIT on Thursday. The former chief minister requested that his testimony be recorded at his current residence, a farmhouse in Siddipet district, at a convenient date. The police response was unprecedented - they pasted a notice on the compound wall of KCR's official residence at Nandi Nagar in Hyderabad, directing him to appear at his "residence on record" instead.
In his formal reply to the SIT, KCR strongly objected to the manner of service, stating: "From the legal provisions and judgements of the honorable Supreme Court of India and various High courts, it is clear that pasting of the letter (second notice) dated January 30 on the compound wall of the house in Nandi Nagar is no notice in the eye of the law and the same is contrary to provisions of section 62 of CrPC... You have no jurisdiction and authority to issue notice to me for the purpose of recording my statement."
Political Implications and BRS Response
Despite his legal objections, KCR agreed to cooperate, writing: "Notwithstanding the above legal position, I, being a former Chief Minister for the State of Telangana and the 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."
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has expressed significant discomfort with how the notices were served. A party source revealed: "An ACP-level official will question him; it's an insult. Expect a protest at Nandi Nagar in Hyderabad tomorrow." The party maintains that the current Congress government is engaging in "vendetta politics" through this case.
Family and Party Reactions
KCR's son and BRS working president K Taraka Rama Rao took to social media platform X to express his outrage, posting that the people of Telangana will give a befitting response to the Congress for dragging KCR into what he called a false case. This public statement underscores the political tensions surrounding the investigation.
Background of the Phone-Tapping Case
The case centers around allegations that phones of BRS political rivals were tapped when the party was in power in Telangana. The investigation has identified several key accused:
- Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) chief and IPS officer T Prabhakar Rao
- Deputy Superintendent of Police D Praneeth Rao
- Additional Superintendents of Police M Thirupathanna and N Bhujanga Rao
- Former Superintendent of Police P Radhakishan Rao
- TV channel owner A Shravan Kumar Rao
SIT sources claim to have evidence showing that at least 600 phone numbers tapped by the SIB under Prabhakar Rao were unrelated to Left Wing Extremism - the original mandate of the intelligence unit established in 1990 to track Communist Party of India (Maoist) activities.
Expanding Investigation Scope
The investigation has reportedly widened to include alleged illegal access of Call Data Records (CDR) and Internet Protocol Data Records (IPDR) of thousands of individuals. The SIT, headed by Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar, continues to pursue multiple angles in what has become one of Telangana's most politically sensitive investigations.
This development marks a crucial moment in Telangana's political landscape, with implications for both the ongoing investigation and the state's political dynamics as the former chief minister prepares to face questioning in a case that has already generated significant controversy and public attention.
