Bandi Sanjay Slams SIT over ‘Biased’ Phone-Tapping Probe
Sanjay expressed concern that senior BRS leaders, including K. T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao, were being examined as witnesses rather than accused.
Hyderabad: Union minister of state for home Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Saturday strongly opposed the state government’s decision to summon BRS leaders K.T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao as eyewitnesses rather than accused in the phone-tapping case. He questioned whether the Congress government was attempting to give a clean chit to Rama Rao and his father, former chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao.
In an informal chat with the media at the BJP state office, Sanjay asked why the leaders were summoned under Section 160 of CrPC, which applies to persons acquainted with facts, instead of Section 41A, used for accused persons. “If BRS leaders are eyewitnesses and not accused or thieves, who are the actual culprits in the phone-tapping case,” he asked.
He alleged ministers were influencing the SIT inquiry and denying it independence. Urging the government to grant the SIT full freedom, Sanjay said the KCR family treated cases of public looting as petty matters. “They remain confident that no matter how much atrocity or corruption they commit, the Congress government won’t act against them,” he added.
Sanjay claimed SIT officials told him during his interrogation that his phone was tapped and his number added to a Maoist list. He demanded action against those responsible. He further asserted that phones of BRS MPs, MLAs, heroines and businessmen were tapped and added to Maoist lists, including Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter and son-in-law. “Yet they claim it was for national security,” he said.
Accusing the Congress government of portraying Rama Rao as a victim despite families suffering, Sanjay remarked: “People may have forgotten Nizam’s atrocities, but they won’t forgive KTR, who still shows no remorse.”
He demanded a white paper on mine allotments and alleged “Singareni loot” from 2014 to date, charging both BRS and Congress governments responsible for pushing the company into a debt trap. He urged repayment of the Rs 42,000 crore owed to Singareni.
Predicting BJP victories in the GHMC elections, Sanjay said both parties were indulging in a blame game and would stage another drama before municipal polls to divert public attention from Singareni.
