The Supreme Court of India has directed T Prabhakar Rao, the former chief of the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) in Telangana, to provide his iCloud account password to the state police, with oversight from forensic experts. This directive was issued during a hearing by a bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan on Tuesday.
The court extended Rao’s interim protection against coercive actions and mandated his appearance before the investigation officer to facilitate the ongoing inquiry. The Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta, asserted that the investigation was stalled due to Rao’s alleged “non-cooperation.” He claimed that Rao had formatted his electronic devices, thereby destroying significant evidence, while under the court’s protective order. Mehta highlighted the severity of the allegations, indicating that Rao had been involved in intercepting the phones of various influential individuals beyond just politicians.
“It is our case that he has a backup because he purchased 15 hard drives, but he claims he has nothing. His lack of cooperation seems to stem from the interim protection provided by this court,” Mehta stated.
In response, senior advocate D.S. Naidu, representing Rao, firmly denied these allegations and maintained that Rao has been compliant with the investigation. Naidu alleged that the inquiry was politically motivated, suggesting that “outsiders, politicians, MPs, and MLAs” had been permitted to interrogate Rao during proceedings. Justice Nagarathna expressed concern, stating, “It cannot be a ‘tamasha’. How can MPs and MLAs come in and interrogate? They cannot be spectators or part of the investigation.”
Mehta contested Naidu’s claims. The case is scheduled for further hearing on November 18. The Supreme Court had previously provided Rao with interim protection from coercive actions on May 29, directing him to submit an undertaking to return to India within three days following the receipt of his passport. Rao is challenging a decision by the Telangana High Court, which dismissed his request for anticipatory bail.
On May 22, a Hyderabad court issued a proclamation against Rao concerning the phone-tapping allegations, warning that he could be declared a “proclaimed offender” if he fails to appear by June 20. Under such a designation, the court holds the authority to order the attachment of the accused’s properties.
Four police officials, including a suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) from the SIB, have been arrested by Hyderabad Police since March 2024 for allegedly erasing intelligence data from various devices and engaging in unauthorized phone tapping during the previous government. These officials have since been granted bail.
The police have accused Rao and others of misusing SIB resources for political purposes, surveilling various citizens unlawfully, and developing unauthorized profiles of individuals, which were utilized in a partisan manner, allegedly at the behest of political figures. They have also been implicated in destroying evidence of these actions.
