Hyderabad: Two more police officers, both holding senior police ranks have been arrested in the illegal snooping case linked to suspended former Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) DSP Praneeth Kumar. One of the two accused – N Bhujanga Rao, is the Additional Superintendent of Police for Bhoopalapally district.
The two officers who reportedly aided Praneeth in illegally phone tapping and snooping on opposition leaders are Thirupathanna, Addl DCP, CSW, Hyderabad City Police (formerly Addl SP, SIB) and and N Bhujanga Rao, Addl SP, Bhoopalapally (formerly Addl SP, Intelligence Department). Both were arrested in the phone tapping case on Saturday, for which Praneeth was already arrested.
“During the questioning, the above two police officers have confessed about their involvement in the reported crimes including conspiracy to monitor the private persons illegally by developing their profiles abusing their official positions; to cause disappearance of evidence by destroying the public property to conceal their involvement in collusion with the already arrested Mr D Praneeth Kumar alias Praneeth Rao, DSP (under suspension), formerly working in SIB and some other persons,” said Vijay Kumar DCP west zone in a press release.
A case was registered with the Punjagutta police station alleging that Praneeth had damaged some equipment to try and cover up his alleged misdeeds. The SIB DSP has reportedly admitted in the investigation that he tapped the phones of opposition leaders and celebrities on the orders of his then superiors during the previous BRS government, including that of current Congress Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy.
Sources said that there is a possibility of interrogating the then high officials of SIB, who were involved in the conspiracy with Praneeth, as well. Both the two accused arrested on Saturday were produced before the a court as per procedure seeking judicial custody. Further investigation is under progress, said Vijay Kumar.
TPCC president and chief minister Revanth Reddy was reportedly among the many opposition leaders who were targets of phone tapping during the 2023 Assembly elections. In addition to identifying the movements of Revanth and his close team, Praneeth also allegedly tracked the flow of money of the Congress during last year’s Assembly elections.
Praneeth, who allegedly followed the orders of the then ruling party BRS, sought cooperation of politicians, police and private individuals, said the police. Based on the information and phone numbers received from different people, hundreds of phones were tapped from the SIB headquarters and other war rooms, Praneeth Rao allegedly told the investigation officials.
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