KCR questioned for over four hours in alleged phone-tapping case
BRS president and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao was interrogated by the SIT for over four hours in connection with the alleged phone-tapping case. Despite police restrictions and traffic disruptions, the day unfolded more like a political roadshow than a legal proceeding.
Hyderabad: BRS president and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao was questioned for over four hours on Sunday by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged phone-tapping case. This was after he on Saturday exposed the double standards of the SIT, and established that the notice served on him was illegal and without jurisdiction
The questioning began around 3 pm in a designated room on the second floor of his Nandi Nagar residence amid tight security, and concluded after about four hours and 45 minutes. Officials were seen entering and leaving the residence amid multi-layered security arrangements in the surrounding area.
The SIT team included Madhapur DCP Reethiraj, IPS officers Vijay Kumar and Narayan Reddy, along with Additional SPs Arvind Kumar and KS Rao. Officials recorded the entire session through audio and video, sources said. Investigators are understood to have posed questions reportedly linked to statements gathered from others examined in the case and documented the former Chief Minister’s responses.
As per procedure, Chandrashekhar Rao was allowed to have one person present during the questioning. Former MP J Santosh Kumar was reportedly permitted to accompany him, while senior advocate Ramchander Rao remained available for legal assistance. BRS working president KT Rama Rao, senior leaders T Harish Rao and RS Praveen Kumar were present at the residence during the day.
After the interrogation concluded and the SIT team departed, the former Chief Minister met senior party colleagues at his residence. He also came out and greeted the party cadre and supporters who were waiting outside. With the police leaving the spot, crowds swelled in large numbers, and raised slogans of “Jai Telangana, Jai KCR” and “CM, CM”.
Earlier, the day began with a show of strength. If the SIT’s visit was meant to corner Chandrashekhar Rao, Sunday instead unfolded as a carefully watched display of the former Chief Minister’s political resilience and statesmanship as he, after exposing the legal violations of the SIT in Saturday’s letter, calmly sat for hours of questioning even as supporters lined up on highways to hail him like a returning hero. They also waited for him at Nandi Nagar and Telangana Bhavan, notwithstanding police restrictions.
The BRS chief left his Erravelli residence at around 11 am, his convoy rolling out amid slogan-shouting supporters and flower showers along the route to Hyderabad. The scenes unfolded reminiscent more of an election roadshow than a legal proceeding. Party leaders termed the turnout a spontaneous expression of solidarity, while police struggled to manage crowds and traffic at several points.
The BRS chief travelled from his Erravelli residence to Hyderabad, with a massive convoy. Party leaders and supporters gathered at Erravelli and along the route, leading to heavy police bandobust and traffic congestion in some stretches. However, citing traffic jams and inconvenience to the public, the police stopped his convoy on the outskirts of Hyderabad and allowed only about four vehicles to proceed further.
