KCR faults wall pasting of letter by phone-tapping case IO, says he’s ready for examination today

HYDERABAD

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has termed pasting of the notice on the compound wall of his house at Nandinagar here for his examination as a witness in the phone-tapping case there as illegal.

In a six-page detailed letter addressed to the investigating officer and the ACP of Jubilee Hills P. Venkatagiri, Mr. Rao wrote: “The letter pasted on the compound wall of Nandinagar house is no notice in the eye of the law and is illegal as the same is contrary to the provisions of Section 62 of the Cr.P.C., the Supreme Court judgement in the Satender Kumar Antil case and Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution”.

Further, he stated that as per the provisions of Section 160 of Cr.P.C. and as interpreted by various High Courts, the IO has no jurisdiction and authority to issue notice to him (KCR) for the purpose of recording his statement in connection with crime number 243 of 2024. As per the proviso to Section 160 (2) of the Cr.P.C., the IO is duty bound to record his statement at his place of residing – Erravelli in Markook mandal of Siddipet district and no other place.

Notwithstanding the legal position, “I being a former CM of Telangana and present Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and also as a responsible citizen of the country, in order to assist the department in the investigation of the said crime, I would be available for my examination at 3 p.m. on February 1 (Sunday) at Nandinagar residence as you are keen to record my statement there only,” Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao said in the letter.

He stated that in response to his letter dated January 29, some persons whose identity is not known appear to have pasted a letter alleged to be under the IO’s signature on the compound wall of his Nandinagar house around 9 p.m. on Friday. “If the letter is sent by you and it is paster on the wall as per your instructions, I take strong objection to the same and it indicates that you have no respect to the Constitution, the law and Supreme Court judgements,” Mr. Rao said in his letter to Mr. Venkatagiri.