Phone tapping: Bandi Sanjay alleges illegal phone surveillance, demands CBI probe
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Speaking after appearing before the special investigation team (SIT), he demanded that the case be handed over to the CBI, arguing that the state agency lacks the jurisdiction for a comprehensive probe.
Sanjay also alleged that the current Congress govt is trying to shield former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. "SIT does not have the capacity to summon and investigate central leaders. Sensitive conversations with leaders like Amit Shah, JP Nadda, and BL Santhosh were also tapped," BJP sources said, adding that the party will take legal action.
The BJP alleged that the former KCR govt tapped the phones of political figures, film stars, and businessmen under the guise of Maoist surveillance, and misused the data for extortion. It said this calls for
involvement, as well as the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, given alleged violations of telecom regulations.
Questions were also raised over the appointment of T Prabhakar Rao as SIB chief, which BJP leaders said contravened Union home ministry rules.
They further alleged that the phone of a high court judge handling a paper leak case was tapped, prompting doubts about the SIT's authority to issue notices to judges.
Despite claims that phone tapping orders came from the then DGP, one of the accused P Radha Kishan Rao's arrest was much delayed, sources said. He was later arrested in March 2024 and given bail. BJP leaders alleged that the previous had stored years of intercepted data and destroyed it only after surveys indicated electoral defeat.
For these reasons, BJP leaders reiterated their demand for both CBI and ED investigations, saying only central agencies can probe the scale and sensitivity of the surveillance operation.
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