Phone Tappings During Elections
Article Today, Hyderabad: A major phone tapping scandal has rocked Telangana. Reports reveal that the state police tapped around 4,000 phones every month during the previous government’s tenure. Notably, during the 2023 Assembly elections, over 600 phones were tapped in the month of November alone. The focus was mainly on businessmen who allegedly supported opposition parties and those transferring money through hawala networks. Former Hyderabad Task Force DCP Radha Kishan was reportedly assigned to handle the media presentation of these raids, according to SIT investigations.
Maoist Cover for Political Spying
Operations against Maoists were allegedly misused to justify large-scale phone tapping. The expertise of the Telangana police in covert operations was diverted for political purposes. Officials found that the government used the Maoist threat as a cover to track opposition leaders, their supporters, party defectors, businessmen, and election strategies of rivals.
A Businessman’s Central Role
A businessman is believed to be a key figure in the entire operation. He set up offices under the guise of conducting surveys in every constituency. Through these networks, he collected personal and professional data of local leaders, businessmen, journalists, and influential citizens. The collected information was passed to a former minister, who reportedly handed it over to Prabhakar Rao, the then SIB Chief. The former minister facilitated close ties between Prabhakar Rao and the businessman, allegedly to strategize a return to power.
Organized Surveillance Team
Following the instructions of the former minister, Prabhakar Rao introduced the businessman to DSP Praneetha Rao, who worked directly under him. A special team of fifty members was formed to manage a database of all collected phone numbers. This team continuously monitored phones belonging to opposition leaders, their families, and close associates.
Targets Under Watch
Surveillance extended beyond Telangana’s borders. Phones of Congress, BJP, and Left leaders, as well as journalists, media owners, judges, businessmen, and hawala operators in Hyderabad were tapped. Leaders who attempted to leave the BRS party were also tracked. Praneetha Rao reportedly shared such sensitive information with Additional SP Bhujanga Rao, who then alerted relevant BRS leaders to manage the situation.
Inter-State Phone Tapping
The surveillance even covered leaders in Andhra Pradesh. Reports indicate that phones belonging to former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Nara Lokesh, and Achchennaidu were tapped. Sources claim that even the phones of three close associates of Naidu and Lokesh were monitored. Under Prabhakar Rao’s orders, Praneetha Rao reportedly tapped these phones, including WhatsApp audio and chat conversations. The investigation revealed that phones of family members were also under watch.
SIT Investigation Gains Momentum
The SIT’s inquiry into the phone tapping scandal is moving aggressively. The SIT found that Prabhakar Rao used the Maoist pretext to justify the surveillance. Evidence shows that phones of BJP MPs Eatala Rajender, Dharmapuri Arvind, and Raghunandan Rao were tapped from November 15, 2023. BJP State General Secretary Premender Reddy’s phone was also reportedly under surveillance. The SIT has summoned him for questioning. Officials believe more explosive details may emerge as the investigation progresses.
