Hyderabad: In a significant development, P. Radhakishan Rao, the former Deputy Commissioner of Police (Task Force, Hyderabad City), has admitted to being part of a phone-tapping operation conducted by the Telangana Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) during the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) government. According to police sources, Rao confessed to surveilling politicians, retired police officers, and media personalities under the instructions of then SIB chief T. Prabhakar Rao.
Prabhakar Rao, who has been identified as the prime accused in this illegal phone-tapping case, allegedly failed to “draw the line” when executing orders from the ruling party. The operation aimed to keep tabs on political rivals of the BRS and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao ahead of the state elections held in November.
The Hyderabad Police attached Radhakishan Rao’s confession statement to other documents submitted to the Nampally Criminal Court, as reported by The Indian Express. The former police officer, who was arrested in March in connection with the case, revealed that individuals who criticized the BRS government or were perceived as threats to the party were placed under surveillance.
Former SIB Deputy Superintendent of Police D. Praneeth Rao, also arrested in the case, allegedly profiled the targets and led operations to tap their phones for constant monitoring. Among those under surveillance were former IPS officer RS Praveen Kumar, who had joined political parties like BSP and more recently BRS; former BRS leader and MLA Kadiam Srihari, now in Congress; former BRS minister T. Rajaiah; former Tandur MLA Patnam Mahender Reddy, now a critic of BRS and recently joined Congress; Congress leader K. Jana Reddy and his sons; and several district-level Congress leaders.
Additionally, the investigation revealed that the movements of industrialists, builders, businessmen, journalists, and bureaucrats were closely monitored to track their communications. When it was discovered that many were using encrypted platforms like WhatsApp or Snapchat, SIB chief Prabhakar Rao allegedly ordered the team to track calls using Internet Protocol Data Records. The case continues to unravel, shedding light on the extent of surveillance during the BRS government’s tenure in Telangana.
