Hyderabad: After gathering evidence that Andhra Pradesh former intelligence chief and retired IPS officer AB Venkateswara Rao was under the surveillance of his Telangana counterparts during the previous BRS tenure, the former top police officer was called by the Special Intelligence Team (SIT), which is probing the alleged phone tapping case, and recorded his statement a couple of days ago.Venkateswara Rao was allegedly on the radar of Telangana’s then intelligence dispensation. Sources said that his surveillance coincided with a period when he was facing the heat from the then YSRCP govt in AP and for some time he was also placed under suspension.The SIT recorded his statement as a witness and tried to elicit information on whether he ever found that his movements were under the scanner and, as a fallout, did he face any difficulties? This is the first time a senior officer from a neighbouring state was called by the SIT. “After gathering information about several persons from various walks of life, who were under surveillance, Venkateswara Rao’s phone was one among them,’’ sources told TOI.Venkateswara Rao worked as the intelligence chief of Andhra Pradesh between July 2015 and March 2019 and it was during the 2019 assembly elections that he was transferred.SIT, which is probing the alleged phone tapping case since early 2024, is reportedly at the fag end of its probe and it is learnt that it was gearing up to file the second chargesheet. In the past, BRS brass, including its president K Chandrasekhar Rao, working president KT Rama Rao and , senior MLA T Harish Rao were questioned.
