Former Special Intelligence Bureau (SBI) chief Prabhakar Rao has categorically denied any involvement in the phone tapping case. Prabhakar Rao, who has been in hiding in the US for the past 15 months, appeared before the SIT on Monday. A team of five members, including Jubilee Hills ACP Venkatagiri and West Zone DCP Vijay Kumar, questioned him for 8 hours.
The SIT team recorded his statement on video. After the first day of questioning, the SIT has ordered him to appear again on the 11th of this month. This time, the SIT has asked him to bring his laptop, MacBook and two cell phones used at that time. It is learnt that he answered without hesitation. He was questioned by the SIT by placing evidence of the statements given by the accused Thirupathanna, Radhakishan Rao, Praneeth Rao and Bhujanga Rao in front of him.
It is learnt that Prabhakar Rao counter-questioned that he had not given any orders to anyone to tap phones and that if there was any evidence that he had given such orders, he should show it. Stating that there would be a review committee for phone tapping, he said that he is not a member of such a committee to take a decision.
He recalled that he had resigned at 4 pm on December 4, 2023, and that he had no connection with the destruction of the hard disks at 8 pm on the same day. He also asked the SIT officials to explain why the members of the phone tapping review committee could not be involved in this case?
The SIT team showered Prabhakar Rao with questions like, “Why did you go abroad immediately after the phone tapping case was registered? Who destroyed the hard disks? Did Praneeth Rao destroy the hard disks on your orders? On whose orders was the Special Operation Team formed?”
The SIT team reportedly asked Prabhakar Rao that there is a clear conspiracy behind the destruction of the hard disks, and that Shravan Rao is a private individual and what is his connection with the SIB? Why did you (Prabhak Rao), Praneeth Rao and Shravan Rao meet frequently? Prabhakar Rao tried to evade the question without giving a proper answer.