The allegations of phone tapping during the previous BRS government in Telangana on Tuesday ignited a fierce debate, prompting calls for a thorough investigation by the Congress government and assertions from the BJP regarding phone tapping during the 2019 LS elections. Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former minister E. Dayakar Rao on Tuesday denied allegations that he along with a police official involved in the case illegally detained a businessman and extorted Rs 50 lakh. He also denied any involvement in the phone tapping case, in which three police officials have been arrested.
What Is Phone Tapping Case?
The controversy centers around accusations of widespread phone tapping of political leaders, notably Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, during the tenure of the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) administration under K Chandrashekar Rao. The scandal surfaced following the arrest of the suspended DSP of Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) Praneeth Rao on March 13, allegedly for his involvement in unauthorized profiling of individuals, illegal phone tapping, and destruction of computer systems and official data. Subsequently, the Telangana government suspended him from duty.
Accusations Unveiled
Praneeth Rao’s arrest ensued after a complaint filed by an additional superintendent of police of the SIB, resulting in a case registered against Rao and accomplices at Panjagutta police station. The charges encompass criminal breach of trust, destruction of evidence, and criminal conspiracy. Additionally, it is alleged that the intelligence team extorted money from businessmen and eradicated all traces of their illicit activities, including digital and physical evidence.
Targets of Surveillance
Reports indicate that over 1,00,000 phone calls were unlawfully intercepted. Beyond Chief Minister Reddy, investigators suspect that members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, and even BRS leadership may have been under surveillance. The accused allegedly collected intelligence on political fundraising activities. Furthermore, individuals implicated in the scandal reportedly monitored various Telugu actors and businessmen, utilizing obtained information for purposes of blackmail.
Who Is Saran Chowdary?
Saran Chowdary is BJP State Executive Member who filed a complaint against Ex DCP Radhakrishna and TS Umamaheswara Rao. BRS leader Dayakar Rao also claimed that he does not know who Saran Chowdary is. He claimed that Saran Chowdary was suspended from BJP following allegations of land grabbing against him and allegedly cheated NRIs. The former BRS minister said Saran Chowdary has several cases against him as he was allegedly involved in encroachments by creating fake documents.
Dayakar Rao said that he was into politics for 40 years but never faced any allegation. He also denied any links with Praneeth Rao, the suspended DSP of Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) arrested in a phone tapping case.
Political Slugfest
Reacting to the row, Union Minister and BJP Telangana President G Kishan Reddy demanded a judicial inquiry into the allegations of phone tapping. Alleging that phones of not only politicians but also officials and businessmen were tapped by some police officers who acted “like a mafia”, he urged police officials to act comprehensively in the matter. KT Rama Rao, working president of the BRS party, accused Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of distracting the public from issues by selectively leaking information that phone tapping was done during the previous BRS government to certain media channels. The Telangana Congress cited some news reports asked them to see that the entire administration is “clean and a strict warning be given to officers of all the departments to restrain themselves from malpractices and corruption.
