Andhra forms SIT to probe cases against KCR

The Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe cases registered in the state against Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

The four-member SIT will be headed by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Sheikh Mohammed Iqbal.

It will probe 88 cases against KCR, including a phone-tapping case booked recently.

The decision to constitute the SIT was taken by the state cabinet, which met here on Wednesday.

Labour Minister K. Atchan Naidu told reporters after the cabinet meet that there was strong evidence that the Telangana government resorted to tapping of phones of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, his cabinet colleagues and others.

"We have strong evidence as to who did the phone tapping and at whose instance. We will present their evidence at an appropriate time," he said.

Another minister P. Pulla Rao said notice will be issued to a TV channel and an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer in the phone-tapping case.

Atchan Naidu reiterated that the Telangana government or its Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has no right to issue notice to Chandrababu Naidu in the cash-for-vote case.

"We are not afraid of notice. We don't care," he said, adding that Andhra Pradesh also has laws and investigating agencies.