Telangana High Court bars police from arresting Harish Rao in phone tapping case

Justice K. Lakshman of the Telangana High Court on Thursday provided relief to BRS MLA T Harish Rao, directing the Punjagutta Police not to arrest him in connection with the ongoing investigation into phone tapping and related charges.

By LEGAL CORRESPONDENT

Hyderabad: Justice K. Lakshman of the Telangana High Court on Thursday provided relief to BRS MLA T Harish Rao, directing the Punjagutta Police not to arrest him in connection with the ongoing investigation into phone tapping and related charges.

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The case, registered under FIR No. 1205/2024 on December 1, accused Harish Rao of involvement in criminal conspiracy, extortion, breach of trust, criminal intimidation, and violations of the IT Act, 2008. The FIR stems from allegations made by Gadhagoni Chakradhar Goud, who claimed that Harish Rao used State intelligence resources to illegally tap his phone and those of his family members. The complaint alleged that these actions were part of a broader effort to intimidate Goud due to his social activism and political rivalry with Harish Rao.

At Thursday’s hearing, Siddharth Luthra, Senior Counsel for the State government, argued that Goud’s complaint was the second filed on the same issue. The first, lodged on November 23, with the Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad, also raised concerns about illegal phone tapping. Luthra highlighted that Apple Inc. had notified Goud via email about the possibility of his phone being tapped. Luthra also opposed Harish Rao’s petition to quash the FIR, suggesting that the appropriate legal recourse in such cases was anticipatory bail, not protection from arrest.

However, J. Ramchander Rao, Senior Counsel for Harish Rao, strongly contested the allegations, calling Goud a habitual complainant who had previously filed multiple complaints and even challenged Rao’s victory in the 2023 Assembly elections. Rao argued that the FIR was politically motivated, aimed at tarnishing the reputation of his client. After hearing both sides, Justice Lakshman noted that in a similar case, protection was granted to the petitioner while allowing the investigation to proceed. Following this precedent, the judge ruled in favor of Harish Rao, granting him protection from arrest but allowing the Punjagutta Police to continue their investigation into the matter.

The court also issued notices to Goud, directing him to respond to the allegations.