Phone tapping case: Accused Praneeth Rao extorted jewellers, realtors
HYDERABAD: Suspended officer D Praneeth Rao, under the directions of former chief of the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) T Prabhakar Rao and arrested officers Bhujanga Rao and Thirupathanna, reportedly extorted money from 36 businessmen, with a particular focus on famous jewellers, hawala operators, realtors and some other prominent construction company owners.
Probing the phone-tapping case, the cops are encouraging the victims to come forward and file their complaints. The investigation team is also verifying the data, which have been tapped by the other suspects, including the data related to a former minister’s family and their close relatives, who were also threatened by the accused officers. It is learnt that all of these activities were carried out under Prabhakar’s directions.
Meanwhile, the police have named Prabhakar as accused number 1 and former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of the Task Force Radha Kishan Rao as accused number 3 in the phone tapping case. Praneeth, who was arrested earlier, is accused number 2, as per the FIR.
It is learnt that Prabhakar and Radha Kishan are absconding and are believed to be in the US. While the police have searched their residences, they have also issued lookout notices against the duo to alert airports.
During the probe, the cops discovered that Praneeth took to tapping phones as he was asked to do so by the accused officers. The two senior police officers who were arrested on Saturday — Thirupathanna, Additional DCP, CSW (City Armed Reserve), Hyderabad City Police, and N Bhujanga Rao, Additional SP, Bhupalpally — also said they followed Prabhakar’s instructions.
According to sources, Prabhakar and Radha Kishan gave the phone numbers of high-profile politicians and businessmen to Praneeth, asking him to tap their phones. Subsequently, the former DSP would eavesdrop on private conversations, collect information and provide them with regular updates, they added.
Prabhakar was purportedly the mastermind behind the case and is suspected of ordering full surveillance on the then opposition leader A Revanth Reddy as well as his family members, followers and associates. Subsequently, Praneeth relayed all the information gathered through eavesdropping back to the former intelligence chief.
In his statement to the police, Praneeth is said to have revealed that the team had tapped the phones of hundreds of political leaders during elections. They would also gather information related to fundraising by political leaders. Further, he purpotedly told the police that he destroyed 17 hard disks in the computer, broke them into pieces and threw them into the Musi river. The team also reportedly burnt all the documents in the two logger rooms.
List of numbers shared by key BRS leader: Arrested cop
One of the recently arrested cops, Bhujanga Rao, who had served as the Additional SP, Intelligence, is said to have told the police that they had tapped the phone numbers given by a key BRS leader.
Meanwhile, Thirupathanna reportedly revealed that he used to share the names given by Radha Kishan to Praneeth, who would then collect the required information. The arrested cops were produced before the court and have been remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.