Telangana Police Officers’ Association Slams Harish Rao’s Remarks, Warns of Legal Action

Hyderabad, Jan 2026 : The Telangana Police Officers’ Association on Friday strongly condemned the remarks made by former minister and senior Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader T. Harish Rao against police officials, terming them false, baseless, malicious, and illegal. The Association said such comments undermine the integrity of the police force and erode public trust in law enforcement institutions.

The strong reaction followed Harish Rao’s statements issued in response to the notice served on BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the alleged phone-tapping case. During his remarks, Harish Rao warned that officials who are allegedly misusing power would be held accountable in the future, even after their retirement.

He also accused the Telangana Police of acting at the behest of their political superiors, alleging that the Congress-led government was misusing the SIT to target BRS leaders as part of a political vendetta. “Congress is using the SIT to harass BRS leaders. Some police officials are acting excessively and crossing legal limits to impress their Congress bosses,” Harish Rao had alleged.

Reacting sharply, the Police Officers’ Association demanded that Harish Rao immediately and unconditionally withdraw his remarks and issue a public apology to the Telangana Police Department. The Association warned that failure to do so would compel it to initiate appropriate legal action, both civil and criminal, in view of the alleged damage caused to the reputation of the police department and the obstruction of the judicial process.

In a statement, Association president Y. Gopi Reddy said the comments appeared to be made with the deliberate intention of tarnishing the image of the police department and weakening public confidence in ongoing investigations. He asserted that police officers are discharging their duties strictly within the framework of the law and without any political bias.

Reddy explained that during the course of an investigation, the investigating officer has full legal authority to collect evidence, examine the material gathered, and summon any individual for questioning whenever necessary. He emphasised that police officials function under established legal provisions, including the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA). The ultimate authority to decide the truth in any case, he said, lies solely with the courts.

“Making irresponsible, baseless, and derogatory statements against investigating officers when a probe is in progress amounts to an attempt to influence the judicial process. Such remarks also constitute a threatening attack on officers performing their lawful duties,” Reddy said. He added that the Association views these comments as not only unethical but also punishable under the law.

Meanwhile, the controversy escalated further as Congress MLC Balmoor Venkat lodged a formal complaint with the Director General of Police (DGP), alleging that former ministers K. T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao were attempting to intimidate officials involved in the phone-tapping investigation.

Venkat alleged that the two BRS leaders have been issuing statements aimed at creating fear among SIT officials and influencing the direction of the probe. According to him, such actions amount to interference in an ongoing investigation and pose a serious threat to the independence of the investigative process.

The Congress MLC said he submitted the complaint along with what he described as supporting evidence to the Additional Director General of Police, seeking immediate and stringent legal action against those allegedly attempting to obstruct justice. He urged senior police leadership to ensure that investigating officers are allowed to carry out their duties without fear, pressure, or political interference.