- Supreme Court dismisses Telangana government SLP
- High Court order stands in Harish Rao phone tapping case
The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave major relief to former minister Harish Rao in the phone tapping case. The top court refused to interfere with the Telangana High Court order that had dismissed the case against him. As a result, the Special Leave Petition filed by the Telangana government also stood dismissed.
A two-judge bench comprising Justice BV Nagaratna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan heard the matter. During the hearing, both sides presented their arguments. However, after considering the submissions, the bench made it clear that it could not interfere with the orders passed by the Telangana High Court. Later, the bench announced that it was dismissing the SLP filed by the state government. With this verdict, Harish Rao appears to have secured significant relief in the phone tapping case.
The Telangana government had approached the Supreme Court seeking permission to interrogate Harish Rao. The request came after the High Court had earlier quashed the case against him. The state argued that the matter was at a crucial stage of investigation. Therefore, it sought approval to question the former minister. However, the Supreme Court declined the request and upheld the High Court’s decision.
Meanwhile, the case dates back to a complaint filed in December 2024. Siddipet-based businessman Gandhgoni Chakradhar Goud approached the Panjagutta police. He alleged that police officers had illegally tapped his phone during the previous BRS government. According to the complaint, the alleged phone tapping was carried out on the orders of former minister Harish Rao. The complainant also claimed that he was mentally harassed and intimidated. Based on this complaint, the police registered an FIR against Harish Rao.
However, Harish Rao later moved the Telangana High Court seeking dismissal of the case. The High Court heard his petition and, on March 20, 2025, dismissed the case. The court observed that there was no sufficient evidence to support the allegations. In response, the state government challenged this verdict in the Supreme Court. Now, with the apex court dismissing the government’s petition, the High Court order remains in force, bringing a major setback to the state and relief to Harish Rao.
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