Supreme Court Grants Interim Relief to Ex-SIB Chief in Phone-Tapping Saga

The Supreme Court on Thursday extended interim protection to T Prabhakar Rao, former chief of Telangana's Special Intelligence Bureau, amidst allegations of phone-tapping. Rao, currently residing in the U.S., has been accused in a high-profile case involving unauthorized surveillance during the Bharat Rashtra Samithi regime.

Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma have instructed Rao to appear before Indian authorities and undertake to return to the country with his passport reinstated temporarily for this purpose. Until further court instructions, no coercive measures will be enforced against him.

Rao's plea opposing a Telangana High Court decision was previously rejected, and now, he faces the possibility of being declared a 'proclaimed offender' if absent by the court's deadline in June, with property attachment as a potential consequence.

(With inputs from agencies.)