Lok Sabha polls: Political row erupts over phone tapping scandal in Telangana

KT Rama Rao

In the run up to the Lok Sabha elections, a major controversy in Telangana is grabbing national headlines every day - a high-profile case of telephone tapping. The story unfolds as the Telangana police arrest their officers who are allegedly involved in the scandal while also dealing with accusations from Congress leaders against the top leadership of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), including the former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his son, the working president K Taraka Rama Rao (KTR).

In response to the allegations against him, KTR posted a fiery message on the social media platform X. He stated that Congress members and senior leaders would be served legal notices for defamation and slander. He demanded an apology for their baseless and nonsensical allegations, or they would face legal consequences. KTR would also serve legal notices to news outlets reporting the allegations without verifying the facts.

Both these Congress fellows (including the minister) will be served legal notices for defamation & slander

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Either Apologise for this shameful, baseless & nonsensical allegations or face legal consequences

Also will be serving legal notices to news outlets who are dishing out… pic.twitter.com/IjHNQ7Yn2T

— KTR (@KTRBRS) April 2, 2024

Several senior Congress leaders, including K Mahendra Reddy from Sircilla and Mahbubnagar MLA Yennam Srinivas Reddy, have complained that their phones were illegally tapped during the assembly elections. They have pointed fingers at KTR as a key figure in orchestrating this breach of privacy. They said the tapping was done to intimidate and prevent BRS corporators from defecting to Congress. These allegations were followed by a bold declaration that the accused would face consequences for their actions.

The narrative of phone tapping and intimidation further thickened with allegations from Congress minister Konda Surekha, who accused KTR of threatening film actresses and engaging in a mass phone-tapping operation that targeted not only political figures but also top Tollywood personalities. The operation, as per confession statements from accused police officers, involved snooping on conversations, sharing sensitive information, and even extortion.

Former Intelligence Officer of Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) Praneeth Rao's arrest on March 13 is at the centre of a scandal. He was accused of illegal phone tapping, unauthorised profile development, and destruction of evidence. This arrest uncovered the severity of the alleged espionage, involving several key figures within the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) and beyond. The case has sent shockwaves through the political and entertainment spheres in Telangana, with allegations of extorting money from businessmen and the deliberate destruction of digital and physical evidence.

It has been alleged that over 100,000 phone calls were illegally monitored, which has led to a scandal. The affected parties include members of BRS, individuals from BJP and Congress, and chief minister A Revanth Reddy. The scope of the operation was quite extensive, involving the surveillance of Telugu actors and businessmen for potential blackmail, which highlights the seriousness of the accusations.

What the row is about

The controversy revolves around several individuals who are allegedly involved in illegal activity, including former SIB chief T Prabhakar Rao, suspended DSP D Praneeth Rao, former DCP of Commissioner's Task Force P Radhakrishna, and a senior executive of a Telugu TV channel. A lookout circular has been issued for T Prabhakar Rao, indicating the seriousness and urgency with which the authorities are pursuing the case amidst speculation that he may attempt to flee the country.

In the telephone tapping case's latest update, a retired deputy commissioner of police of the city task force, P Radha Kishan Rao, has named the "TRS Supremo" for the first time, adding a new dimension to the controversy. This revelation is expected to have significant repercussions. Accusations from Congress and BJP have been targeting former chief minister and BRS president K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and his son KTR for allegedly orchestrating and benefiting from the snoop gate.

According to Rao's confession statement, he was appointed as DCP of the Task Force in 2017 by the "TRS Supremo" to maintain political control over Hyderabad. He worked with former IG intelligence T Prabhakar Rao, the head of the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) at the time, and other accused to secure a third consecutive BRS victory in the 2023 elections. They allegedly did this by controlling political rivals and quelling dissent within the party.

Rao's confession also revealed that he surveilled political leaders from opposition parties, their families, business persons, critics of the BRS, and even suspected dissidents within BRS itself. He was the fourth accused in the case and might turn approver, with hints that Prabhakar Rao might also disclose further details.

Rao's confession emphasised the role of caste dynamics in the assembly of the surveillance team. Prabhakar Rao, who shares the same Velama caste as KCR, handpicked team members based on caste affiliations or prior acquaintances.

The confession sheds light on specific instances of surveillance and the seizure of funds from political adversaries. It also detailed establishing special operations team (SOT) war rooms across different districts for targeted surveillance of political figures and the encouragement of defections to BRS. These activities allegedly extended beyond the SIB's official mandate.

Rao also highlighted the post-retirement influence he wielded within the BRS administration. He continued his role in political machinations through strategic appointments and encrypted communication to evade detection.

As this case unfolds, it promises to reveal further intricacies of BRS and its leadership's political strategies, shaking the foundations of Telangana's political landscape.