Phone-tapping case: Police one step closer to truth after arrest of former task force OSD Radha Kishan Rao

Also Read: Telangana phone-tapping case: Ex-DCP, police officer interrogated

Arrests made in the case

With Radha Kishan’s arrest, the number of arrests in the case has climbed to four. The police inadvertently opened a can of worms when they initiated an investigation into allegations of SIB’s involvement in phone tapping during the BRS administration, allegedly misusing equipment intended for gathering intelligence on Maoist activities.

The first arrest was that of B Praneeth Kumar, alias Praneeth Rao, former Deputy Superintendent of Police in the SIB, who has since been suspended. He confessed to destroying hard discs from SIB servers, throwing the pieces into the Musi River a day after the Congress secured a majority in the 30 November Assembly elections.

Following Praneeth Rao’s confession, which came during police custody obtained through court order, two additional officers of SP rank — Nayani Bhujanga Rao and Mekala Tirupatanna — were arrested on 23 March and subsequently suspended. The police are actively seeking retired Inspector General (IG) of Police T Prabhakar Rao, former head of the SIB, and Shravan Rao, owner of a media house, allegedly involved in facilitating the phone tapping.

The authorities hope that the arrest of these individuals might yield crucial evidence, potentially shedding light on the involvement of politicians in these operations. However, they are treading cautiously to avoid any backlash, considering the suspected involvement of high-profile figures in the case.

Searches have already been conducted at the residences of Radha Kishan Rao and Prabhakar Rao. Prior searches were also conducted at the residences of Bhujanga Rao and Tirupatanna before their arrest. Lookout circulars (LOCs) have been issued against Prabhakar Rao, Radha Kishan Rao, and Shravan Rao, amidst suspicions that they may have fled the country.

However, Radha Kishan Rao voluntarily presented himself at the Banjara Hills police station for questioning on Thursday.

Also Read: BRS caught unawares as Warangal candidate Kavya dumps party 

Radha Kishan’s interrogation

During the extensive interrogation of Radha Kishan, authorities probed him on whose phones were tapped, the reasons behind the phone tapping, and who had ordered it. They presented evidence gleaned from Praneeth Rao’s interrogation before Radha Kishan, pressing him to divulge whether the police had indeed engaged in extortion from businessmen and merchants.

Moreover, investigators are reportedly questioning Praneeth Rao’s driver and a constable to extract further details, seeking to construct a comprehensive overview of the operations, its scope, and magnitude.