Hyderabad: The Telangana government has ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the high-profile phone-tapping case, providing a fresh impetus to the ongoing investigation. The nine-member SIT has been formed with immediate effect and instructed to complete the probe and file the charge sheet expeditiously.
The state Director General of Police (DGP) issued an official memorandum outlining the SIT’s responsibilities. The team will function under the overall supervision of Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar. The alleged phone-tapping case is registered at Panjagutta police station.
Top Bureaucrats Questioned
This development comes two days after the Supreme Court extended the police custody of former Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) chief T. Prabhakar Rao, the prime accused in the case, until December 25, 2025.
Sources revealed that two other senior officials—former Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and former Intelligence Chief Naveen Chand—were called as witnesses and questioned by investigators. Officials said the interrogation covered a range of topics, including alleged illegal surveillance and instructions given to the team executing it. This marks the first time that top-ranking officers who served during the previous BRS regime have been summoned to Jubilee Hills police station in connection with the case.
Members of the newly formed SIT have declined to comment on the questioning of the officials.
Composition of the SIT
The nine-member SIT comprises:
- Ambar Kishore Jha, Commissioner of Police, Ramagundam
- S.M. Vijay Kumar, Commissioner of Police, Siddipet
- Ritiraj, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Madhapur
- K. Narayan Reddy, DCP, Maheshwaram
- M. Ravinder Reddy, Group Commander, Greyhounds
- K.S. Rao, Additional DCP, Rajendra Nagar
- P. Venkatagiri, ACP, Jubilee Hills (designated as the Investigating Officer)
- Sridhar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Telangana Anti Narcotics Bureau
- Nagender Rao, DSP, HMRL
The team has been tasked with a thorough investigation to ensure that all aspects of the alleged surveillance operation are examined and documented.
Supreme Court Extends Custody of Prime Accused
In a related development, the Supreme Court extended the custody of T. Prabhakar Rao till December 25, 2025. Rao, a former SIB chief, remains the central figure in the probe, and his continued custody is expected to facilitate detailed interrogation.
