Pick Another Date, Busy On Friday, Will Cooperate, says KCR

Hyderabad: BRS president and former chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao told the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that he will not be available on Friday on questioning in the case of tapping of telephones during the BRS rule. He was willing appear at a later date of mutual convenience.

The SIT had earlier in the day issued notice to Chandrashekar Rao, seeking his presence at 3 pm on Friday for questioning, either at the ACP office in Jubilee Hills or at a place of his convenience.

Chandrashekar Rao, in his reply to the SIT notice, assured the police of his cooperation in its investigations, but said as the president of the BRS, he would be preoccupied on Friday, the last date for filing of nominations for the municipal elections, and would not be able to accommodate the request.

He also said the SIT can examine him at his farmhouse residence in Erravalli village with prior notice, and that all future notices should be sent to his farmhouse address.

Bringing down the curtains on speculation that ran rife in the few hours between the SIT issuing the notice, and his response on whether he will agree to be questioned, or will seek another day, Chandrashekar Rao said: “I state that being a former Chief Minister for the State of Telangana and present Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and also as a responsible citizen of this country, I would like to assure my full co-operation with the said investigation.”

Earlier in the day, SIT officials visited Chandrashekar Rao’s residence in Banjara Hills and served the notice, asking him to appear before it at 3 pm on Friday. The SIT also said that as he was above the age of 65, “and in strict compliance with the 160 CrPC provision,” it was not necessary for Chandrasekhar Rao to go to the Jubilee Hills police station from where the SIT is operating.

"If K Chandrasekhar Rao so desires, he may voluntarily appear before the Investigation officer at the Jubilee Hills police station or alternatively he may specify any other place within the Hyderabad city commissionerate for examination. The Investigation officer along with the SIT members shall attend place accordingly time and date,” the SIT said in the notice. The SIT also asked the former chief minister to inform well in advance to the investigating officer where he would like to be examined.

In his response, that followed consultations with party working president K.T. Rama Rao, and senior leader T. Harish Rao who rushed to Erravalli, Chandrashekar Rao said that the Section of CrPC cited by the SIT “does not specify any territorial limits under which such male person shall be examined,” and thus exercised the option of his examination at his Erravalli residence.

The BRS president said “I would like to remind that it is mandated by the law that any male person above 65 years is not required to attend the Police Station and the investigation team is required to examine such male person at the place in which such male person is residing.”

Explaining why he could attend the examination by SIT on Friday, Chandrashekar Rao said “I was requested to be available for examination by you on 30.01.2026 at 15:00. At present nomination to the elections to the municipalities and municipal corporations is underway. Tomorrow is the last date for filing nomination to the elections to the 116 municipalities and 7 municipal corporation. In view of the same I am preoccupied with issuing authorization to number of persons as the elections are being held on party basis.”

Chandrashekar Rao said that in view of the above reasons, the SIT “may fix any other date” of its convenience “for my examination under Section 160 of the CrPC. You can conduct the examination at my place of residing i.e.H.No.3-96, Erravalli (V), Markook (M), Siddipet District-502279.”

The widely anticipated notice from SIT to Chandrashekar Rao follows the questioning of Harish Rao, Rama Rao, and former BRS MP J. Santosh Rao.