In a key development in the Telangana phone-tapping case, the Supreme Court on Tuesday (October 14, 2025) directed former Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) chief T Prabhakar Rao, the prime accused in the case, to provide access credentials for his iCloud account in the presence of forensic experts. The bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan also extended interim protection from arrest, while directing him to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Telangana government, alleged that Rao had destroyed electronic evidence and formatted official devices after seeking anticipatory bail. “He was intercepting the phones of several influential persons, not just politicians. After moving his bail plea, he formatted the device—making it appear brand new,” Mehta said, adding that forensic findings indicated possible data backups on 15 external hard drives.
Countering the allegations, senior advocate D S Naidu, appearing for Rao, maintained that his client was being targeted for political reasons and had already complied with most of the investigators’ requests. He clarified that the formatting of official systems followed standard departmental protocols for sensitive data and that Rao was ready to reset and share the iCloud password under expert supervision.
The courtroom witnessed tense moments when Naidu alleged that MPs and MLAs had been allowed to question Rao during the probe. Justice Nagarathna reacted sharply, observing, “It cannot be a tamasha. Elected representatives cannot be part of an investigation or act as spectators.” Mehta, however, denied the claim and offered to submit an affidavit refuting it.
Earlier, the Telangana High Court had rejected Rao’s anticipatory bail plea on May 3, 2025, leading him to approach the Supreme Court. The apex court had subsequently granted him interim protection on May 29, after a Hyderabad court issued a proclamation order declaring him an absconder if he failed to appear by June 20.
The case, which has stirred political circles in Telangana, revolves around alleged illegal surveillance and phone interception of opposition leaders and senior bureaucrats during the previous government’s tenure.
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