In a significant judicial intervention, the Telangana High Court has issued a directive to halt the arrest of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA T. Harish Rao until December 30, in connection with allegations of phone tapping. The decision was made by Justice K. Laxman, who allowed the ongoing investigation to proceed but required that proper notices be served to Rao.
The case stems from accusations by Congress leader G. Chakradhar Goud, who claims that Rao was involved in the unauthorized tapping of his and his family’s phones during last year’s assembly elections. Goud, a real estate businessman, lodged a formal complaint on December 1, alleging that Rao, along with other associates, engaged in criminal conspiracy, extortion, and violations under the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act.
Harish Rao, seeking legal redress, petitioned the High Court to dismiss the charges, labeling them as unfounded and politically motivated. He argued that the allegations were not preceded by any preliminary investigation and posed a serious threat to his reputation and political career.
Justice Laxman has called for Rao’s cooperation with the investigation and issued notices to the complainant, Goud, setting the stage for further proceedings at a later date.
In a related incident, Rao and another BRS MLA, Padi Kaushik Reddy, faced arrest for allegedly obstructing police duties at Reddy’s residence, where police had arrived to apprehend Reddy for previous misconduct with law enforcement. Rao’s intervention led to their temporary detention, inciting protests from BRS supporters who rallied outside the Gachibowli police station, criticizing the state government’s actions.
