BRS leader moves Telangana HC seeking to quash phone tapping case
Hyderabad, Dec 4: Senior Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former minister T. Harish Rao has approached the Telangana High Court, seeking orders to quash the phone tapping case booked against him.
The BRS MLA from Siddipet filed a petition on Wednesday, the day after a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against him at Panjagutta Police Station in Hyderabad.
On a complaint by G. Chakradhar Goud, a real estate businessman and Congress leader from Siddipet, the police booked a case against Harish Rao and retired police officer Radhakishan Rao.
The complainant, who is also the founder of Farmers First Foundation, alleged harassment, threats, and unlawful phone surveillance.
Panjagutta Police registered a case under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 120(B) (Criminal conspiracy), 386 (Extortion), 409 (Criminal breach of trust), 506 (Criminal intimidation) and section 66 of the Information Technology Act.
Goud alleged that during the Assembly elections last year, Harish Rao with the help of Praneeth Rao (an accused in phone tapping case) tapped his phone and also 20 phones of his family members. He claimed that though he had lodged a complaint with the police, no action was taken.
Goud stated in his complaint that Harish Rao developed a grudge against him due to his charitable activities, including financial support to families of farmers who had committed suicide. The complainant alleged threats, fabricated cases, and unauthorised surveillance of his phone by Harish Rao and associates.
A key leader of BRS Harish Rao is the nephew of BRS President and former chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
Goud alleged that he was implicated in multiple fabricated cases including a rape case. He stated that he received threatening messages and was warned to stop his charitable and political activities.
Harish Rao, however, denied the allegations and blamed Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for the false case.
The former minister alleged that he was being implicated in false cases as the Chief Minister was unable to bear the fact that he was pulling him up for injustice at every step, exposing him, and questioning him on behalf of the people.
The former minister said that even if the Chief Minister books one lakh false cases against him, he would not stop questioning his misdeeds.
Harish Rao cited different cases booked against him at various places in the state. He said a case was registered against him at Yadagirigutta Police Station for his statement that the Chief Minister betrayed even god on the issue of crop loan waiver.
The BRS leader mentioned that another case was booked against him at Begum Bazar Police Station for his remark against the Chief Minister over unkept promises.