Telangana HC Reserves Order on Anticipatory Bail of iNews MD in Phone-Tapping Case

Public prosecutor (PP) Palle Nageshwar Rao submitted a 440-page counter affidavit, pointed out that Shravan Kumar was left to the US to evade arrest, and that the investigation team had collected key evidence regarding his role in the phone-tapping operation.

The PP said that Shravan Kumar called the then State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) office several times just prior to the Assembly elections last year — six times on November 26, once the next day and seven times on November 30, polling day. This depicted conspiracy, the PP said.

Pappu Nageshwar Rao, senior counsel, appearing for Shravan Kumar, said that the accused was in the US fearing arrest and was not a criminal but a TV journalist. None of the sections registered against him in the FIR — misappropriation, damage, suppression of facts and concealment of evidence — would apply to the petitioner as he was not a government employee.

Senior counsel refuted the contention of the PP that Sravan Kumar had provided cellphone numbers and other information pertaining to judges and Opposition leaders to the SIB, stating that they were available in the public domain.
The judge asked the PP that if the court granted anticipatory bail to Shravan Kumar with a direction to surrender before the police, would the investigating team go ahead with the investigation in the presence of the petitioner’s counsel. The PP replied that he will find out the contention of the investigation team and inform the court orally.

HC Extends Interim Bail for Bhujanga Rao in Phone-Tapping Case

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Thursday extended the interim bail granted to Bhujanga Rao, accused in the phone-tapping case, till December 4. Interim bail was granted to him on grounds of ill health.