Prabhakar Rao, the prime accused in the phone tapping case, has opposed the Hyderabad police’s plea for an arrest warrant. He appeared in the Nampally court and stated that his appointment in the Intelligence wing was not because of his caste, but on the recommendation of the then Director General of Police (DGP). He emphasized his vast experience in anti-naxal operations. Prabhakar Rao alleged that he was made an accused in the case at the instance of people in power. The police have accused him of handpicking officers from his community and conducting surveillance on opposition leaders. However, Prabhakar Rao’s lawyer argued that he was transferred unceremoniously by the former chief minister due to political pressure and cited the delay in his promotion as evidence. The lawyer also claimed that his client was on the hit list of extremists and terrorists throughout his service as a police officer. Prabhakar Rao denied the allegation that he went to the USA to evade police action, stating that it was a pre-planned visit due to his health ailment. His lawyer requested the court to reject the police plea for an arrest warrant, stating that Prabhakar Rao would appear before the agency once his treatment in the USA is completed. The court reserved the order after hearing the arguments.