Former DCP and Officer Questioned in Telangana Phone Tapping Investigation

In a significant development in Hyderabad, a former Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of the Commissioner's Task Force and another police official were subjected to questioning on Thursday. This interrogation is part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of phone tapping and the destruction of computer systems and official data. The senior police official confirmed the interrogation amid circulating reports about their potential arrest.

The case, which has seen rapid developments since last week, involves accusations against two additional superintendents of police arrested on March 23. They were allegedly in collusion with suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB), D Praneeth Rao. Rao is at the center of this controversy for his alleged involvement in erasing intelligence information from various electronic devices and unauthorized phone tapping during the tenure of the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government.

On March 13, Rao was apprehended for allegedly creating profiles of several individuals and monitoring them without authorization, in addition to destroying certain computer systems and official data. The police have also issued a lookout circular (LOC) against former SIB chief T Prabhakar Rao, then Deputy Commissioner of Police at the Commissioner's Task Force P Radhakrishna, and a senior executive of a Telugu TV channel as part of their investigation.

The issuance of the LOC stems from their unavailability for investigation and alleged non-cooperation with the authorities. There are suspicions that they may have left the country. Praneeth Rao's recent suspension by the Telangana government adds another layer to this complex case. His actions during his tenure as DSP under the BRS government and subsequent role in the office of the Director General of Police (DGP) have come under scrutiny, especially his alleged phone tapping activities targeting opposition party leaders.

The case against Rao and others was registered at Panjagutta police station on March 10, following a complaint by an additional superintendent of police from the SIB. They face charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act, and Information Technology (IT) Act-2000. The allegations include criminal breach of trust by a public servant, causing disappearance of evidence, criminal conspiracy, and other related offences.

Accusations also extend to developing profiles of certain individuals, monitoring them without authorization, causing disappearance of physical and electronic records of the SIB, and transferring intelligence information into personal drives. This case highlights significant concerns regarding privacy breaches and misuse of official resources for unauthorized surveillance activities.