Hyderabad: Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar on Friday, December 19, held the first strategic meeting with the newly constituted special investigation team (SIT) probing the alleged phone tapping by the previous Bharat Rashtriya Samithi (BRS) regime in Telangana.
The SIT has planned to draw a roadmap for investigation into the phone tapping case. Following a review of the case details, Sajjanar and the SIT discussed legal and technical requirements to move forward in the investigation.
The meeting included high-ranking officials from various jurisdictions, including representatives from Siddipet, Ramagundam, Madhapur and Maheshwaram, as well as specialised units such as the Greyhounds, the Anti-Narcotics Bureau and the Hyderabad Metro Rail.
The meeting stressed on maintaining continuity in the probe. The Commissioner had consulted with officers who had previously supervised the case since its registration at the Punjagutta police station, ensuring that the new team benefits from earlier findings. The SIT is expected to intensify its probe into the alleged unauthorised surveillance activities to identify those responsible for the breach of privacy protocols.
Telangana forms new SIT to investigate phone tapping case
Telangana Police on December 18 constituted an SIT under the overall supervision of the Hyderabad Police Commissioner to probe the alleged phone tapping by BRS government when it was in power. The Director General of Police (DGP), B Shivadhar Reddy, issued an order, constituting the nine-member SIT.
Ramagundam Police Commissioner Ambar Kishore Jha, Siddipet Commissioner of Police SM Vijay Kumar, DCPs Ritiraj and K Narayan Reddy, Greyhounds Group Commander M Ravinder Reddy, Additional DCP KS Rao, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) P Venkatagiri and Deputy Superintendents of Police Ch Sridhar and Nagender Rao are members of the SIT. Jubilee Hills Police ACP Jubilee Hills Venkatagiri is the investigating officer.
He has been heading the investigation into the case registered at Panjagutta Police Station in March last year. The SIT said it will complete the investigation in the case and file a charge sheet expeditiously, according to the DGP.
The development came a week after Special Intelligence Bureau’s (SIB) former chief T Prabhakar Rao surrendered before the SIT headed by the ACP. The retired IPS official surrendered on December 12, a day after the Supreme Court directed him to surrender for custodial interrogation.
Prabhakar Rao allegedly orchestrated the illegal surveillance of several prominent individuals during the BRS rule. He had allegedly constituted a special team in the SIB to tap the phones of those working against the BRS government.
The team allegedly tapped phones of Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, businessmen, celebrities, journalists, members of civil society and even judges.
(With inputs from IANS)
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