Hyderabad: The High Court on Friday conducted hearings on the anticipatory bail plea filed by former SIB chief Prabhakar Rao, an accused in the phone tapping case. Prabhakar Rao appealed for anticipatory bail citing that he was suffering from cancer.
The police, however, opposed the plea, arguing that the claims were merely excuses and that he had misused phone tapping for personal gain, thereby disqualifying him from being granted bail.
Justice J. Srinivas Rao presided over the hearing. Senior advocate T. Niranjan Reddy, appearing on behalf of Prabhakar Rao, submitted that the petitioner, aged 65, was battling cancer and assured the court that he would return to Hyderabad immediately to cooperate with the investigation if bail was granted.
Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing the government, refuted these claims, stating that Prabhakar Rao was returning to India only because his passport had been cancelled and a Red Corner Notice had been issued against him, not out of voluntary compliance. He argued that citing age and illness could not be grounds to evade the investigation. Luthra further questioned how Prabhakar Rao could continue serving as an OSD after retirement if he was seriously ill.
After hearing both sides, the judge adjourned further proceedings to 29 April.
