HC stays Harish Rao’s arrest in Cong leader’s phone tapping case
Congress leader G Chakradhar Goud alleged that the former minister had got his phone tapped during the BRS government
The Telangana high court on Thursday stayed the arrest of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) lawmaker and former minister T Harish Rao in connection with a case pertaining to tapping of a Congress leader’s telephone during the previous BRS regime.
A high court bench headed by Justice K Laxman, which heard the arguments over a petition filed by Harish Rao seeking quashing of the case against him, issued orders to police not to arrest him immediately, though the bench said that police could continue their investigation by serving proper notices to the BRS leader.
Justice Laxman also advised Harish Rao to cooperate with the inquiry. He also issued notices to complainant G Chakradhar Goud and adjourned the hearing to a later date.
Harish Rao filed a petition in the high court on Wednesday, seeking the dismissal of a case filed against him by real estate businessman and Congress leader G Chakradhar Goud, who alleged that the former minister had got his phone tapped during the BRS government.
Harish Rao claimed that police registered the case without conducting a preliminary investigation and that the complaint was fabricated with no evidence against him.
He argued that the allegations, based on an old incident of phone tapping, were baseless and would harm his political career and reputation if acted upon.
In his complaint with the Punjagutta police in Hyderabad on December 1, Goud, who is also the founder of Farmers First Foundation, alleged that during the assembly elections last year, Harish Rao with the help of Praneeth Rao (an accused in phone tapping case) tapped his phone and also 20 other phones of his family members.
Panjagutta Police registered a case under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 120(B) (Criminal conspiracy), 386 (Extortion), 409 (Criminal breach of trust), 506 (Criminal intimidation) and section 66 of the Information Technology Act.
COPS ARREST HARISH RAO, ANOTHER MLA
Meanwhile, the Banjara Hills police on Thursday arrested Harish Rao and another BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy for obstructing the duties of police.
The Banjara Hills police came to the residence of Kaushik Reddy to arrest him, in connection with a case of misbehaviour with police on Wednesday. Coming to know about Kaushik Reddy’s arrest, Harish Rao came to his house to obstruct police.
Subsequently, police arrested both the BRS leaders and shifted them to Gachibowli police station. A large number of BRS leaders and cadres thronged the police station and raised slogans against the state government.
