Interpol red corner notice against former SIB chief in phone tapping

Hyderabad: Interpol has issued a red corner notice (RCN) against Telangana Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) former chief T Prabhakar Rao and media outlet owner Sravan Rao, the two key accused in the sensitive phone tapping case reported in 2024. This will make way for the duo's possible extradition to India from the US, where they are currently living.
Officials associated with the probe said that the Telangana CID recently received a communication to this effect from Interpol through the CBI — the nodal agency in India. "This communication will now be shared with the US authorities so that the two can be extradited through the ministry of external affairs," said an official, adding that the process might take another two months to be completed. "But once they are in India, it is likely that the investigation will conclude soon."

The investigation team probing the case has already recorded statements of over 100 witnesses. Sources said that the team is expected to examine more witnesses, including police officers from the intelligence and other wings, politicians, and business persons among others.
The phone-tapping case registered in the Panjagutta police station in March 2024, named six persons as accused— Prabhakar Rao, former DCP Radhakishan Rao, Addl SPs Tirupathanna, Bhujanga Rao, DSP Praneet Rao, and media person Sravan Rao. They were charged with keeping surveillance on several prominent people from Hyderabad, including now chief minister A Revanth Reddy and family, through illegal interception of their phones to allegedly help the governing BRS govt.
While four others were subsequently arrested — all of them were granted bail in Feb 2025 — Prabhhakar Rao and Sravan Rao had fled the country even before the case could be registered.
Police have, in the meantime, filed a supplementary chargesheet in the court.
"The accused had even put under surveillance some cops who were their colleagues. Some of them are victims while some others are witnesses in the case. They will be examined soon," added the official.