The Hyderabad police filed charge-sheet in court in regard to the phone tapping case. The police had cited ten persons as suspects in the case including former DIG and SIB chief – Prabhakar Rao, former DCP Task Force – Radhakishan Rao, DSP Pranith Rao, Additional SP Bhujanga Rao and Tirupathanna.
The police had arrested Radhakishan Rao, Tirupathanna, Bhujanga Rao, and Pranith Rao in the case and remanded them.
The Hyderabad Police had filed a case on March 10, and started investigation into the case.
There are allegations against the police officials that they had illegally overheard the phone conversations of politicians, businessmen, journalists and others persons.
Former SIB chief Prabhakar Rao, the prime suspect in the case, is presently in the United States and is reportedly in touch with the investigators through his lawyers.
The police furnished the confession statements of the four accused who have been arrested; Prabhakar Rao and Sravan Kumar remain at large. The chargesheet mentioned how Praneeth Rao got an accelerated promotion to DSP in 2023 and how he headed a team to tap phones with exclusive dedicated leased lines.
The chargesheet said Praneeth Kumar used to copy intelligence information into his drives illegally, most likely with the collusion of unknown persons. He had dismantled the phone tapping system later.
Judge V. Eshwaraiah of the Metropolitan Magistrate Court at Nampally on Tuesday heard the arguments in the bail petitions filed by Bhujanga Rao and Thirupatanna. Their counsel said the police had arrested them on March 24 but had not filed any evidence against them.
Counsel submitted that the police were intentionally leaking information to the media against the petitioners, particularly during the time of their bail petitions filed by the accused. As the police failed to furnish the evidence, the petitioners could be released on bail, counsel argued.
Opposing bail, the public prosecutor said that the probe was at a crucial stage and two of the accused were absconding. If the petitioners were released on bail, the investigation may be affected. The court reserved its orders for Wednesday.
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