Phone tapping: Telangana HC extends Harish Rao’s protection from arrest

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has extended the interim protection from arrest for former minister T Harish Rao until January 28, in connection with a phone tapping case.

This extension follows the expiration of the previous protection order on January 9.

The court’s decision was made by Justice K Lakshman during a hearing regarding a petition filed by Rao, who is contesting the FIR lodged by Gadhagoni Chakradhar Goud, a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate who alleged that Rao had used police resources to tap his phone and those of his family members during the assembly elections.

Goud’s complaint accuses Rao of harassment and misuse of state machinery, claiming that Rao tapped phones to intimidate him as he gained political traction in Siddipet.

During the recent court session, Rao’s attorney requested more time to review the police’s counter-arguments, as the police had filed their response seeking to vacate the stay on Rao’s arrest.

The investigation officer, S Mohan Kumar, claimed that evidence indicated that Rao had misused his position to target specific individuals, violating their constitutional rights and personal freedoms.

While the judge has allowed the investigation to proceed, he emphasized that Rao must cooperate with authorities.

The next hearing is scheduled for January 28, where further developments in this case will be addressed.