Hyderabad: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has intensified its investigation of the high-profile phone-tapping scandal that broke out in early 2024. Main accused T Prabhakar Rao, former chief of Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB), will be produced before SIT investigators on Tuesday, June 17, at 11 am at Jubilee Hills police station for interrogation, his fourth time.
Prabhakar Rao, who had come back to India from the United States on June 8 pursuant to a Supreme Court directive reinstating his passport and interim protection against arrest, had left the country soon after the case was filed in March 2024.
He has always maintained he did nothing wrong and that all the operations were approved by a government review committee and accused a political setup of dragging him into the charges.
At the center of the investigation is the ex-DSP G Praneeth Rao, who is considered a key operator who reportedly destroyed SIB hard drives with call data by dumping them into the Musi River in the early hours of the 2023 election results. He is to be questioned on Wednesday.
Now, SIT also anticipates releases from TPCC chief Mahesh Kumar Goud and former Gadwal ZPTC chairperson Saritha, who were both targeted victims, as about 600 people reportedly had their phone calls intercepted, ranging from leaders and journalists to businessmen, and even High Court judges.
Interestingly, the SIT has called out 400-plus numbers of Praneeth Rao’s confiscated data, along with other victims, to support their testimonies. On Monday, for example, Vikarabad political leader Pattolla Mahipal Reddy conceded his usage of WhatsApp on an alternate phone under allegations of being under surveillance.
As the SIT questions Prabhakar Rao, Praneeth Rao, and dozens of victims, the investigation is moving towards its final phase. The investigation is looking for explanations on who sanctioned the sprawling surveillance grid and if it was utilised for political purposes.
