Hyderabad, 29 March (H.S.): In a notable development in the phone tapping case, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has summoned Aruvel Shravan Rao, the managing director of a major media firm, to appear for questioning on Saturday, March 28. Notices were also sent to his family on March 26, indicating the investigation's urgency. The case began at Punjagutta Police Station in March last year, following claims of unauthorized phone tapping. Upon hearing about the case, Shravan Rao fled to London, then to the United States, prompting authorities to issue a red corner notice to find him. He has since approached the Supreme Court, which granted him anticipatory bail while requiring his cooperation with the police.

On March 26, the Supreme Court allowed Shravan Kumar interim relief for his participation in the investigation while he's in the U.S. The bench, led by Justice BV Nagarathna, examined the implications of a red corner notice against him. Although the state argued that they couldn’t arrest him due to his location, Justice Nagarathna emphasized the need for official proceedings to ensure his return, suggesting that granting interim relief would facilitate this. The court expressed concerns that without such relief, Shravan Kumar might not return to India. The court ultimately decided to grant interim relief until the next hearing, with the condition of his cooperation in the investigation. The petitioner’s lawyer assured the court of Shravan Kumar’s return to India within 48 hours.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar