Interpol issues notice for Telangana's ex-SIB chief

Interpol has issued a red corner notice for T Prabhakar Rao, former chief of the Telangana Special Intelligence Bureau, and media outlet owner Sravan Rao. They are the main accused in a phone tapping case that emerged in 2024. This notice could lead to their extradition from the United States, where they currently live. Indian officials informed that the Telangana Criminal Investigation Department (CID) received this notice from Interpol through the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The information will be sent to US authorities for the extradition process, which may take about two months to complete. The ongoing investigation has already seen over 100 witnesses provide statements. More witnesses, including police officers, politicians, and business leaders, are expected to be questioned. The phone tapping case was filed in March 2024, accusing six people, including Prabhakar Rao and others, of illegally intercepting phone calls of prominent figures in Hyderabad. This was allegedly done to aid the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government. While four other accused were arrested and granted bail in February 2025, Rao and Sravan fled the country before the case was registered. The police have submitted a supplementary chargesheet to the court. Investigators mentioned that some police officers who were also observed are now victims and witnesses in this case. They will be interrogated soon.