Snooping case: Telangana HC reserves orders on Harish Rao’s quash petition

Rao submitted to the court that the police was persecuting him at the behest of the state government.

Dama Seshadri Naidu, senior counsel appearing for Rao, vehemently opposed the contentions of the state government, seeking vacation of the stay orders on investigation in the said case. It is pertinent to recall that Justice K. Lakshman of the High Court had issued interim orders halting the investigation till March 3, while the police filed a vacate stay petition.

The senior counsel argued that the prosecution was showing much interest in the said case without going into the veracity of the de facto complainant, who had a criminal background. He submitted that the state had failed to protect the rights of the accused. He submitted that the prosecution had surprisingly defended the bonafides of the de-facto complainant and his background.

Siddharth Luthra, senior counsel from the Supreme Court, arguing for the state government, informed the court that it was at the insistence of Harish Rao, the then irrigation minister, that SIB police had illegally tapped the phones of Chakdradhar Goud and his family members, invading into their privacy, which is a blatant violation of Chapter 36 of the Telegraph Act.