At a time when the Telangana government has intensified its inquiry into the phone tapping case, BRS MLA and former minister Harish Rao has received relief from the Supreme Court.
Two petitions filed by the Telangana government against Harish Rao and former DGP Radhakishan Rao were dismissed.
The case was heard by a Supreme Court bench headed by BV Nagaratna. Earlier, similar petitions against Harish Rao and Radhakishan Rao had been quashed by the Telangana High Court.
The Supreme Court observed that it could not interfere with the decision taken by the High Court. Following this observation, the bench dismissed the petitions filed by the state government.
Earlier, after the case was revived following a brief lull, rumours had surfaced about Harish Rao's possible arrest in the phone tapping case. At that time, Harish Rao had stated that he would fight aggressively after coming out of jail.
With the Supreme Court's relief, Harish Rao has now gained a moral victory in the case. The development is being seen as a significant boost for him amid the ongoing probe.
The phone tapping case has drawn widespread attention, with several public figures being questioned during the investigation. Even Kavitha, daughter of KCR, alleged that phones in her household were tapped during the BRS term.
A Special Investigation Team was formed in mid-December to probe the phone tapping case. The Supreme Court's latest decision comes as major relief for Harish Rao and the BRS ahead of the upcoming ZPTC and MPTC elections.