Hyderabad, December 3, 2024 — A case has been registered against Telangana Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader T. Harish Rao and former Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) P. Radha Kishan Rao, among others, in connection with an alleged phone-tapping scandal. The accusations pertain to surveillance activities reportedly conducted to collect data on political opponents, dissidents within the party, and influential figures, including journalists and business leaders, during the previous BRS regime led by K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR).
Investigations suggest that senior officers in the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) and Intelligence Department were involved in covert operations to monitor individuals perceived as threats. This allegedly included creating detailed profiles, intercepting communications, and tampering with evidence. Some officials reportedly acted under the directives of T. Harish Rao, who is accused of influencing these operations before critical elections.
The phone-tapping scandal came to light after the Congress party assumed power in Telangana. An official from the SIB filed a complaint regarding destroyed evidence, prompting a detailed investigation. Several senior police officials, including former SIB Chief Prabhakar Rao and other high-ranking officers, are under scrutiny. Arrest warrants have been issued against key suspects, some of whom have reportedly fled abroad.
Authorities are actively pursuing the investigation, with some arrests already made, as they work to uncover the full extent of the alleged misuse of state machinery for political purposes.
