New Delhi: In a major development in Telangana’s phone tapping scandal, the Supreme Court on Thursday granted temporary anticipatory bail to senior IPS officer and former SIB chief Prabhakar Rao, who is the prime accused in the case.
A bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagaratna and Satish Chandra Sharma directed Rao to return to India within three days and fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation. The court also allowed him to be issued a passport to facilitate his return.
The court’s interim relief came in response to a petition filed by Rao after the Telangana High Court had earlier rejected his request for anticipatory bail. In his plea before the Supreme Court, Rao had offered to come back to India if bail was granted—an offer the court accepted, subject to strict compliance.
“The petitioner shall submit an undertaking that he will return within three days and extend full cooperation to the investigating authorities,” the bench said, adding that no coercive action should be taken against him until further orders.
The Supreme Court is expected to hear the matter in greater detail in the coming days, particularly on broader issues related to anticipatory bail in such high-profile cases.
Meanwhile, Rao’s legal troubles continue to mount. After fleeing India, he had reportedly filed for political asylum in the United States—a request that was denied by US authorities.
Back in Hyderabad, the Nampally court has ordered Rao to appear before it on June 20, warning that failure to do so could lead to him being declared a proclaimed offender. If that happens, investigating agencies would be authorised to initiate proceedings to attach his properties. Notices to this effect have already been pasted on the walls of his residence, as per legal protocol.