The Supreme Court on Friday, December 19, 2025, said people who have nothing to hide should not fear surveillance. The court held this during a hearing on the Telangana phone tapping case. The case involves former Telangana Special Intelligence Bureau chief T. Prabhakar Rao, accused of illegal spying during the previous government. Justice B.V. Nagarathna led the bench and asked why anyone should be afraid of surveillance if they have nothing to hide. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing Telangana, argued that illegal snooping is never allowed—even the President cannot order it. "My personal communications with my wife... I have a right not to be under surveillance," Mehta said. The State reminded the court of the nine-judge Bench ruling that privacy is part of the fundamental right to life. It stressed that this case is about protecting citizens from illegal surveillance by the state, not about living in an open or closed world. The charges against Rao include conspiracy to misuse police resources to secretly monitor citizens and create unauthorized profiles, benefiting a political party. The accused also tried to destroy evidence, police said. The court extended Rao's police custody till December 25 but ordered his release afterward. The Supreme Court said no coercive action should be taken against Rao before the next hearing on January 16. Rao surrendered on December 12 after challenging a bail denial by the Telangana High Court.