Hyderabad: Startling revelations have emerged in the ongoing phone-tapping scandal, shedding light on the disposal of hard drives from the Special Investigation Bureau (SIB) into the Musi River at Nagole by Praneeth Rao, a former DSP.
The hard drives, retrieved by law enforcement, were promptly dispatched to the Forensic Lab for analysis. However, investigators were unable to recover any data. Sources familiar with the matter suggest that crucial decades-old intelligence on Maoists and anti-social elements, meticulously gathered by the SIB, may have been irretrievably lost in the destruction of these hard drives.
According to Praneeth Rao’s statement, he disposed of 42 hard disks from 17 computers in the SIB office on December 4, following directives from his superiors during a change of administration in Telangana.
Further inquiries by police have unveiled that the software utilised for phone surveillance was crafted by the Convergence Innovation Lab. Notably, the directors of this firm, Paul Ravikumar Busi and Sreevalli Godi, simultaneously hold executive positions in six additional companies.
During the 2023 assembly elections, Praneeth Rao’s team allegedly tapped the phones of businessmen funding opposition candidates against those backed by the ruling BRS party. Information gleaned from these interceptions was relayed to select police officers in various districts.
Acting on this intel, the accused and his associates intercepted the funds. To avoid detection by the Election Commission, they allegedly misrepresented the seized funds as Hawala money, subsequently confiscating it and initiating legal proceedings. Investigators have uncovered that phone tapping ceased following the conclusion of the elections.
