Hyderabad: Former Rajya Sabha MP J Santosh Kumar appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Tuesday, January 27, and was questioned for over seven hours in connection with the alleged phone-tapping case during the previous BRS government’s tenure.
Santosh, who reached the Jubilee Hills police station around 3 pm, was examined by investigators on multiple aspects of the case, with questioning continuing until nearly 11 pm.
His appearance before the SIT triggered intense political discussion, as he is considered a close associate of former chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR).
According to reports, officials probing the case reportedly questioned him on whether he had acted as an intermediary between the former chief minister and senior officials of the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) during the BRS regime.
Investigators are also said to have sought clarity on his interactions with former SIB chief Prabhakar Rao, including the frequency and purpose of their communication.
Reports indicated that the SIT questioned Santosh about sensitive administrative decisions taken after Prabhakar Rao’s retirement, including the extension granted to him by the previous government.
The probe team also focused on allegations of illegal surveillance on political leaders and businesspersons, attempting to ascertain the extent of Santosh’s knowledge of the operation.
On electoral bonds
In addition, investigators questioned the former MP about electoral bonds, particularly whether funds were allegedly collected through coercive methods from business entities. Similar lines of questioning were reportedly pursued earlier with former ministers KT Rama Rao (KTR) and T Harish Rao.
With three senior BRS leaders already questioned, the SIT is now said to be considering summoning BRS president and former chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) for examination as the investigation into the phone-tapping allegations widens.
