Hyderabad Police have made significant strides in the investigation of a phone tapping scandal that has sent shockwaves across Telangana. Two additional superintendents of police (ASPs) have been apprehended in connection with the case, while a lookout notice has been issued against former state intelligence bureau chief T Prabhakar Rao and two others for alleged non-cooperation with the probe.
The arrested ASPs, identified as Thirupathanna and N Bhujanga Rao, served in key positions within the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) and Intelligence Department, respectively. They have been remanded to judicial custody following their arrest.
Meanwhile, former Deputy Commissioner of Police of Commissioner’s Task Force, P Radhakrishna, and a senior executive from a Telugu TV channel are also under the scanner, with lookout notices issued against them.
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At the heart of the Telangana phone tapping case is the alleged collusion between the arrested ASPs and suspended SIB Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) D Praneeth Rao. Rao stands accused of illicitly erasing intelligence data from electronic devices and engaging in unauthorized phone tapping during the previous government’s tenure.
A statement from the Hyderabad Police revealed that the arrested officials confessed to conspiring to unlawfully monitor private individuals, abusing their official positions, and destroying evidence to conceal their involvement. Praneeth Rao, in particular, is accused of clandestinely monitoring individuals without authorization and unlawfully tampering with official data.
Praneeth Rao’s suspension by the Telangana government, led by Revanth Reddy, came after allegations of phone tapping of opposition party leaders surfaced. Following a complaint filed by an additional superintendent of police of the SIB, a case was registered against Praneeth Rao and others at the Panjagutta police station.
The charges against the accused include criminal breach of trust, causing disappearance of evidence, criminal conspiracy, and violations of the IT Act. The investigation centers on the destruction of computer systems and official data, as well as the unauthorized collection and dissemination of intelligence information.
The unfolding scandal underscores the importance of upholding the rule of law and ensuring the integrity of law enforcement agencies in Telangana.
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