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Hyderabad Police has apprehended two additional superintendents of police in connection to the Telangana phone-tapping case. This arrest comes as part of the investigation into alleged phone tapping and destruction of computer systems and official data.
According to official statements released late Saturday night, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Thirupathanna and Additional Superintendent of Police N Bhujanga Rao were taken into custody. Both officers previously served in the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) and Intelligence Department, respectively. On Sunday, they were remanded in judicial custody.
What is the Telangana phone tapping case?
The case revolves around allegations of widespread phone tapping of political leaders, including Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, during the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) administration led by K Chandrashekar Rao.
The scandal emerged when Praneeth Rao was arrested on March 13 for his alleged involvement in developing profiles of individuals without authorisation, illegally tapping phones, and destroying computer systems and official data. The Telangana government subsequently suspended him.
What are the accusations?
The arrest of Praneeth Rao came after a complaint filed by an additional superintendent of police of the SIB. A case was registered against Rao and others at Panjagutta police station. The charges include criminal breach of trust, causing disappearance of evidence, and criminal conspiracy.
It's alleged that the intelligence team also extorted money from businessmen and destroyed all evidence of their activities, including computers, hard disk, and paper documents.
Whose phones were tapped?
Reports claim that more than 100,000 phone calls were illegally tapped. Aside from Chief Minister Reddy, investigators believe that members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, and even BRS may have been monitored.
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The team allegedly gathered information on fundraising by political figures. Additionally, those accused monitored various Telugu actors and businessmen, using information to blackmail these figures.
Who has been implicated in this case?
Key figures implicated in the scandal include former SIB chief T Prabhakar Rao, suspended DSP D Praneeth Rao, former DCP of Commissioner's Task Force P Radhakrishna, and a senior executive of a Telugu TV channel. A lookout circular has also been issued against T Prabhakar, who has been named number one in the case, and is suspected of fleeing the country.
The recent arrest of the two senior police officials, Thirupathanna and Bhujanga Rao, stem from allegations of collusion with suspended DSP D Praneeth Rao, who was arrested earlier for erasing intelligence information and conducting illegal phone tapping during the previous administration.
During interrogation, the arrested officers confessed to involvement in various crimes, including illegal monitoring of private individuals and destruction of evidence.
The investigation remains ongoing.
(With agency inputs)
