Ex-Senior Cop’s Claims About Telangana Telephone-Faucet Case, KCR’s Get together’s Function

In an explosive revelation within the Telangana cellphone tapping and snooping row, ex-Deputy Commissioner of Police P Radhakrishna Rao has claimed units belonging to media business bigwigs, retired cops, and politicians (together with from then-ruling BRS) had been hacked and monitored.

This was allegedly a part of a well-funded and secretive crew arrange earlier than the November state election to maintain tabs on then Chief Minister Okay Chandrasekhar Rao’s political rivals. The snooping operation was speculated to create a file to handle potential threats; in a twist, Mr Rao’s BRS was thumped by the Congress anyway, profitable solely 39 (down from 88 in 2018) of the state’s 119 seats.

Arrested on March 29 from his residence in Hyderabad’s Banjara Hills, Mr Rao has reportedly admitted to former colleagues that he was a part of this alleged unlawful enterprise, which can have snooped on a distinguished folks, together with media personalities Narendra Choudary of NTV and Vemuri Radhakrishna of ABN, retired police officer RS Praveen Kumar, sitting Warangal MP Kadiyam Srihari, and former BRS minister Patnam Mahender Reddy and his spouse, Sunita Reddy. Patnam Mahender Reddy has now shifted to the Congress and was the social gathering’s candidate for the Malkajgiri seat within the 2024 election.

Opposition social gathering leaders – such because the Congress’ Saritha Thirupathaiah, who contested and misplaced the Gadwal Meeting seat final 12 months to the BRS’ BK Mohan Reddy – had been reportedly additionally focused.

Radhakrishna Rao reportedly additionally claimed T Prabhakar Rao, then chief of the Particular Intelligence Bureau, was in command of the op, which gathered information on anybody who gave the impression to be a risk to the then-ruling BRS. As soon as a person was flagged, the Intelligence Bureau’s deputy chief, Praneeth Kumar, was reportedly tasked with creating profiles to handle potential ‘threats’ to the BRS’ maintain on energy.

The alleged snooping didn’t solely goal political leaders or public figures. Mr Rao mentioned businesspersons in the true property and building industries had been additionally tracked to ascertain their affiliations.

As rumours of the snooping unfold, bureaucrats, members of judiciary, and political figures averted direct cellphone calls and, as an alternative, used encrypted messaging providers like WhatsApp and Sign.

READ | Ex-Intel Bureau Chief Is Accused No 1 In Telephone-Tapping Row

In response, Prabhakar Rao and his group allegedly tracked communications over web calls by buying and inspecting Web Protocol Information Information (IPDRs). This has now triggered recent ethical and authorized considerations over the usage of public assets and expertise for private or political achieve.

One significantly unsettling side involved iNews journalist Sravan Kumar.

Based on Mr Rao, Mr Kumar spoke instantly T Prabhakar Rao through the state election in October and November final 12 months; this assembly is claimed to have been on the request of the T Harish Rao, a BRS chief who was then a member of the cupboard and is nephew of ex-Chief Minister Okay Chandrasekhar Rao.

Details about opposition leaders and their monetary backers was reportedly despatched to the Intelligence Bureau by way of Mr Kumar, and this was used to focus on rivals throughout money seizure ops. Mr Kumar reportedly additionally helped Praneeth Kumar wage trolling campaigns in opposition to the BRS’ detractors.

Radhakrishna Rao made different startling claims in April.

READ | Senior Cop Arrested In Telangana Telephone Faucet Row Makes Massive Declare

He alleged money had been moved in official automobiles within the 2018 and 2023 Meeting polls, and gave the Munugode by-poll for example. He claimed Rs 3.5 crore had been confiscated from folks linked to Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy, who contested the by-poll on a BJP ticket. He misplaced to the BRS’ KP Reddy however then jumped to the Congress for the 2023 election and received the seat.

The Telangana phone-tapping case entails the alleged gathering of digital information not only for political intelligence, however to blackmail leaders, and even non-public corporations and Tollywood celebrities.

Congress chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy instructed NDTV all this occurred with the data of the management of the earlier Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) authorities. “It’s only a matter of time earlier than they (BRS) leaders come underneath the ambit of the investigation,” Mr Reddy mentioned.

READ | These Concerned In Telephone-Tapping Will Be Jailed, Warns Revanth Reddy

A number of different Telangana cops are being investigated in reference to this case.

The checklist of people whose units had been reportedly monitored embrace Congress chief and present Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. As many as one lakh cellphone calls had been reportedly tapped.