Phone Tapping Case: Formatted phones, damaged hard drives stumble probe
Hyderabad: Phone tapping investigation team is grappling with formatted phones, damaged hard drives, vanished evidence, and with two key suspects still at large, are facing a daunting task. The investigation team has been waiting for the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) reports on the devices seized from the accused.
According to the police complaint, the accused indulged in tapping the phones and recording the phone conversations of several private individuals. They conspired together by using technology, unauthorizedly and thus, created profiles of targeted political leaders and their supporters, monitored locations using their phones, and seized cash. Based on the complaint, a case was booked against former Special Intelligence Branch(SIB) chief Prabhakar Rao Thatiparthi, Praneeth Kumar alias Praneeth Rao Dugyala, Bhujanga Rao Nayini, Thirupathanna Mekala, Former Task Force DCP Radhakishan Rao Potlapally, and Aruvela Shravan Kumar Rao.
So far, the investigation team has examined as many as 69 witnesses. Further, the team is collecting documentary and scientific evidence. So far, the police team arrested four police officers - Nayine Bhujanga Rao, P. Radha Kishan Rao, Dugyala Praneeth Kumar, Mekala Thirupathanna in connection with the case.
Investigation revealed that the accused and others intruded into the lives of private and public persons, collected their call data and recorded their moments, surveilled them, and pressured some victims to yield to their terms.
Key suspects still at large
It is alleged that after the then ruling party Bharat Rashtra Samithi(BRS) lost in the Assembly elections, all the accused formatted their phones. One of the accused, Dugyala Praneeth Kumar, damaged the hard disks of the Special Intelligence Branch’s computer systems, causing evidence to disappear. This resulted in the loss of huge sensitive data that was collected by the Police over decades to curb anti-social activities, consequently posing a serious threat to State security, said a police official privy to the investigation.
Two accused, former SIB chief T.Prabhakar Rao and A.Shravan Kumar Rao, are still absconding. Telangana police urged CBI to request INTERPOL to issue a red corner notice. CBI, as National Central Bureau for INTERPOL in India, coordinates closely with all law enforcement agencies in India for cooperation over INTERPOL channels.INTERPOL yet to issue Red corner notice.
The FSL report for the devices seized from P. Radha Kishan Rao indicates further investigation, police informed the court. The FSL report for Nayini Bhujanga Rao is still awaited. The police filed a charge sheet and sought permission to file a supplementary charge sheet as more evidence is gathered.
Keywords:Phone Tapping, Investigation, Evidence, Accused, Police, Case, Suspects, FSL, Report, Telangana, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS)
