Phones of Revanth, Kavitha were tapped too : Union Minister Bandi
BRS legislators and ministers, barring those of the then chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, former minister KT Rama Rao and former Rajya Sabha member J Santhosh Kumar, were tapped during the previous regime.
After deposing before the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is investigating the phone-tapping case, Sanjay also claimed that phones of former minister T Harish Rao, and KCR's daughter Kavitha and her husband, too were tapped.
Speaking to the media here, Sanjay said that he had submitted some information and confidential reports to the SIT. 'The BRS government, under the leadership of KCR, tapped my phones along with those of my family members, staff and party leaders,' he added.
Stating that the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) was supposed to monitor the movement of Maoists, the MoS said: 'The SIB officials, instead, included my name in the list of Maoists and tapped my phones.'
Sanjay further claimed: 'Not just my phones but those of the then TPCC president and the present Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy were also tapped. '
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
2 hours ago
- India.com
Karnataka Mass Grave Probe: SIT To Begin Excavation At 13th Site In Dharmasthala
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing the mass grave case, will begin the final phase of excavation at the 13th burial site on Wednesday. The developments are being closely monitored, as no significant evidence has been recovered in the past 13 days of excavation in the temple town of Dharmasthala. According to sources, if nothing is found during today's operation, the excavation work is likely to be halted. An unidentified complainant had claimed that he had buried hundreds of bodies of women and girls, who were allegedly raped and murdered, across 13 sites. The SIT had marked all the locations and even excavated certain additional spots suggested by the complainant. Sources said the authorities are likely to file a petition before the court seeking permission to subject the complainant to brain mapping or a narco-analysis test to determine whether he is telling the truth. No evidence was found at the 13th burial site after an extensive search by the SIT in connection with the alleged mass grave case, at the end of excavation work on Tuesday in the temple town of Dharmasthala. The SIT conducted the excavation using a drone-mounted Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). After marking the burial site, the digging was carried out with two earthmovers until late in the evening, despite the rain. Sources confirmed that the authorities dug as deep as 18 feet but could not retrieve anything. On Wednesday, the SIT will continue excavation work using a drone-mounted Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and earth movers. Sources revealed that the unknown complainant is claiming that he has buried about 300 dead bodies of women and girls in an additional 30 sites in Dharmasthala. Meanwhile, the matter is scheduled to be discussed in the Assembly session on Wednesday. The BJP will discuss "attempts and conspiracies to defame the pilgrimage centre Dharmasthala" by an unknown complainant. About 20 BJP party legislators, including BJP State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra, have decided to visit the Dharmasthala pilgrimage centre and conduct a worship to send out a message. The BJP leaders are planning to take a trip from Bengaluru to Dharmasthala in about 200 cars with their supporters, sources stated. Meanwhile, the Karnataka BJP on Tuesday had raised the issue of the Dharmasthala murders in the Assembly. BJP MLA and State General Secretary V. Sunil Kumar said, "We welcome the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe and have no objection to bringing out the truth. However, under the pretext of investigation, attempts are being made to degrade and defame a Hindu religious centre."
New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- New Indian Express
BRS leader KTR sends legal notice to MoS Bandi Sanjay over ‘defamatory' phone-tapping remarks
HYDERABAD: BRS working president KT Rama Rao sent a legal notice to Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar over what he termed as 'baseless and defamatory' remarks the latter made against him in connection with the alleged phone-tapping case. The notice, sent through Rama Rao's legal counsel, mentioned the statements made by Sanjay during a press conference on August 8, which, according to the BRS leader, were 'false, irresponsible, and intended to damage his reputation.' The lawyers stated that such accusations, made without any evidence, were unbecoming of an MoS and MP and amounted to a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of another elected representative. Rama Rao's legal team accused Sanjay of repeatedly making unfounded allegations purely for political mileage and media attention. 'KTR, who served the state in various ministerial roles since the formation of Telangana, had an unblemished record of public service, and such defamatory propaganda was causing serious harm to his reputation,' the notice said. The notice demanded an unconditional public apology from Sanjay to KTR and his family, along with an assurance that no such direct or indirect defamatory statements would be made in future. If Bandi Sanjay fails to tender an apology within seven days, KTR would take both civil and criminal legal action, it added. The notice cautioned that any further 'wild, false, and malicious' statements would invite stricter legal consequences under the law. It may be recalled here that after appearing before the SIT, which is probing the phone tapping case, Bandi Sanjay alleged that around 6,500 phones were tapped by the BRS government. The phones of T Harish Rao and K Kavitha too were tapped, he had claimed. Responding to the legal notice, Sanjay wrote on X: 'Game On. No question of fearing legal notices. Truth is a lion; set it free and it will defend itself. Criminals who ruined lives through phone tapping will be exposed. Satyameva Jayate!!'
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
‘Probe should be judicially examined': HC upholds summoning of 6 cleared by SIT in Tarn Taran murder trial
The Punjab and Haryana High Court Tuesday refused to quash a Tarn Taran trial court's order summoning six more people to face trial in a 2020 petrol pump murder case, holding that Special Investigation Team (SIT) findings are not binding on courts. Justice Rajesh Bhardwaj, dismissing a revision petition by five of those summoned, relied heavily on the Supreme Court's 2014 Constitution Bench ruling in Hardeep Singh vs State of Punjab, which defined the scope of Section 319 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). 'The truthfulness of the plea of alibi raised by the petitioners can be verified on the appreciation of the evidence led by the parties,' the court said, adding: 'There is no gainsaying that the findings arrived at by the SIT are not binding on the court and every investigation has to be judicially examined.' The case stems from an October 11, 2020, shooting at the Raj Kumar Brothers petrol pump on Khemkaran Road in Bhikhiwind. According to the FIR, complainant Dinesh Kumar was at the pump with his brother-in-law Mandeep Kumar alias Monu, who died in the attack, Paramjit Kumar and an employee when a group of armed men arrived. Kumar named seven accused, including Satwinder Singh alias Pasi, Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi, Charanjit Singh, Harbhajan Singh, and Surjit Singh alias Vicky, along with 15–20 unidentified others. He alleged that Gopi fired the fatal shot, while others attacked and threatened them. The motive was linked to a civil dispute over a passage adjoining the pump. An SIT formed on November 17, 2020, later gave three accused, namely Charanjit, Surjit, and Jasbir Singh Pasi, a clean chit based on CCTV footage and call records. Over subsequent reports, Harbhajan, Kulbir Singh Pasi and Gurnam Singh Pasi were also declared innocent. Initially, only Gopi and Satwinder faced trial. During the trial, complainant Dinesh Kumar, testifying as a witness, repeated his allegations against all the accused. This led to a fresh application under Section 319 CrPC, which allows a court to summon others for trial if evidence emerges against them. On June 7, 2024, the trial court summoned all six earlier let off by the SIT. The petitioners argued that the SIT's scientific evidence, including CCTV and call data, proved their alibi, and said the trial court had ignored the discretionary and exceptional nature of Section 319 powers. They also cited a cross-case filed by Charanjit Singh against the complainant's side. Quoting Hardeep Singh, Justice Bhardwaj underlined that Section 319 CrPC confers 'discretionary and extraordinary power… to be exercised sparingly… only where strong and cogent evidence occurs… and not in a casual and cavalier manner.' The judge also cited the Supreme Court's view that the evidence required under Section 319 'is more than prima facie… but short of satisfaction that the evidence, if goes unrebutted, would lead to conviction' and that 'there is no scope… to form any opinion as to the guilt of the accused.' Referring to earlier precedents, including Joginder Singh (1979) and Anju Chaudhary (2013), the court noted that even those named in the FIR but not charge-sheeted can be summoned if warranted. Finding 'no infirmity' in the Tarn Taran court's order, Justice Bhardwaj dismissed the petition without commenting on the merits.
