Phone tapping case: Two more policemen arrested in Telangana

Also Read: T’gana DSP-rank officer suspended, booked for tampering with SIB evidence

The crime

They were accused of colluding with the suspended DSP of the SIB, D Praneeth Rao, who was earlier arrested by Hyderabad police for allegedly erasing the intelligence information from various electronic gadgets as well as for alleged phone tapping during the previous BRS regime.

“During the questioning, the two police officials have confessed about their involvement in the reported crimes including conspiracy to monitor private persons illegally by developing their profiles abusing their official positions; to cause disappearance of evidence by destroying the public property to conceal their involvement in collusion with the already arrested D Praneeth Kumar alias Praneeth Rao, DSP (under suspension) and some other persons”, the release said.

Further investigation is under progress, they said.

Also Read: Telangana officer allegedly stole ₹66 lakh meant for milk supply to tribal children

Praneeth Rao’s illicit operations at SIB

Praneeth Rao, while working in the SIB, unlike other teams, occupied two rooms exclusively for himself and operated with 17 systems issued to him with an exclusive and dedicated leased line with an internet connection, through which he developed profiles of unknown persons and monitored them clandestinely, unauthorisedly, and illegally.

He was also accused of destroying certain computer systems and official data, police earlier said.

Praneeth Rao, by misusing and abusing his official position, used to always copy intelligence information into his drives such as pen drive, external disks, etc, which were in his custody, illegally, most likely with the collusion of unknown persons and to shield his criminal acts, the police had said.

Rao was recently suspended by the Telangana government. He was a DSP during the previous BRS dispensation and was subsequently working in the office of the Director General of Police (DGP). He was earlier accused of tapping phones of opposition party leaders.

Based on a complaint filed by an additional superintendent of police of the SIB on 10 March, a case was registered against Praneeth Rao and others at the Panjagutta police station in Hyderabad on charges of criminal breach of trust by a public servant, causing disappearance of evidence, and criminal conspiracy.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had earlier, alleged that the erstwhile BRS regime was tapping the phones of Opposition leaders with the assistance of hackers.

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