SIT set to question KCR at Erravalli farmhouse in phone tapping case

Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president and former Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) was seen leaving his Erravalli farmhouse in Siddipet district on Friday to inspect nearby agricultural fields, even as developments continued in the phone-tapping investigation.

Sources said the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing the case, is likely to question KCR at his Erravalli farmhouse later in the day. The move follows KCR’s request to the SIT to conduct the questioning at his residence, a request the probe team has agreed to, according to officials familiar with the matter.

The proposed questioning comes after several senior BRS leaders, including KCR’s son and party working president K.T. Rama Rao and his nephew, former minister T. Harish Rao, were earlier questioned by the SIT in connection with the case.

Meanwhile, the BRS has strongly criticised the SIT’s notice to KCR, alleging political vendetta. Party spokesperson Manne Krishank accused the Congress-led state government of attempting to divert the BRS leadership’s focus from the ongoing municipal election campaign.

Krishank claimed that soon after Harish Rao publicly flagged an alleged coal scam involving senior Congress leaders, he was served a notice to appear before investigators. He said a delegation of BRS MLAs, MLCs and Rajya Sabha MPs subsequently met the Telangana Governor, seeking a comprehensive probe into the alleged scam.

“While BRS leaders are engaged with the crucial phase of municipal election nominations, the Congress government is trying to distract the party by issuing notices. After Harish Rao exposed the coal scam, he was immediately summoned, and the very next day, the SIT served a notice to KCR,” said Krishna. 

Earlier, KCR had requested the SIT to reschedule his questioning in the phone-tapping case, citing his packed schedule due to the municipal elections.

(With ANI inputs)