In a significant development in the sensational phone tapping case that has rocked Telangana, reports indicate that the former head of the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB), Prabhakar Rao, considered the mastermind behind the scandal, is expected to arrive in Hyderabad from the United States on Monday.

Rao's questioning is anticipated to uncover explosive new details about the extent of the phone tapping and potentially implicate high-profile political figures. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case plans to issue notices to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party leaders after interrogating the ex-SIB head.

The scandal revolves around allegations that Rao orchestrated the illegal tapping of phones belonging to opposition leaders, celebrities, businesspeople and others during his tenure as SIB chief. The team has focused on Rao's links to former officers who carried out his orders.

Suspicions have emerged that builders, jewellers, realtors and hawala operatives financially backed Rao and his aides through political donations. The SIT believes the accused accumulated illegal assets and plans to share evidence with the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

Probes are examining past cases and misconduct allegations against the accused, including a 2013 suicide linked to an alleged bribe demand by officer Radhakishan Rao who worked under Prabhakar Rao. As the probe intensifies, the impending arrival of the alleged mastermind, Prabhakar Rao could unearth more details about the phone tapping operation and corruption.