CM Revanth says probe into phone tapping delayed due to Prabhakar Rao’s long absence

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy rejected deliberate delay in the investigation into the phone tapping case by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), and attributed it to the administrative delay in bringing back former SIB chief and main accused T. Prabhakar Rao from the U.S.

In an informal chat with reporters, he refused to accept the accusations of the BJP that the government was deliberately delaying the investigation, and said Mr. Prabhakar Rao fled to the U.S. days after the case was booked, and it took 25 months for the government to secure his return.

Mr. Reddy said the Central government failed to cooperate with the State government in facilitating Mr. Rao’s return early. Only after the Supreme Court’s orders was his return possible. The investigation’s progress slowed down due to the absence of the prime accused, he said.

The CM argued that the investigation has gained pace in the last two months and this also led to the questioning of former CM K. Chandrashekhar Rao and former Ministers K.T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao over their role in phone tapping.

On the reorganisation of the districts, Mr. Reddy clarified that the exercise cannot be taken up till the Centre lifts the freeze on the administrative boundaries due to the Census, which will be completed only in March 2027.

He also clarified that the government plans to reorganise the boundaries of districts, revenue divisions and mandals as they were created unscientifically by the BRS government. The much-needed rationalisation will be done after discussion in the Assembly taking the opposition parties’ views as well.

Mr. Reddy predicted an increase in the Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies after the delimitation of constituencies to be taken up once the Census was completed. Women are likely to get more seats with 33% reservation likely to be implemented.

The CM reaffirmed his belief that Telangana Assembly elections will be held in May 2029 along with the Lok Sabha general elections, instead of December 2028, as per the present schedule.

Mr. Reddy said CBI probe into the Kaleshwaram project case was pending despite the government giving its approval in September 2025, and the Formula-E race case was pending with the Enforcement Directorate. The BJP, he said was deliberately delaying the probe.