Phone tapping case: Former SIB chief to arrive today

Hyderabad: The former head of the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB), T Prabhakar Rao, is expected to arrive in the city from the United States on Monday.

Prabhakar Rao’s questioning is anticipated to uncover new details about the extent of the phone tapping and potentially implicate high-profile political figures. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case plans to issue notices to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party leaders after interrogating the ex-SIB head.

A look out circular was also issued in the name of Prabhakar Rao. It was alleged that Prabhakar Rao orchestrated the illegal tapping of phones of opposition leaders, celebrities, businessmen and others during his tenure as SIB chief. The team has focused on Rao’s links to former officers who carried out his orders.

Suspicions have emerged that builders, jewellers, realtors and hawala operatives financially backed the former SIB chief and his aides through political donations.

Moreover, a realtor Sandhya Sridhar Rao approached the police and complained that his phone was also tapped. In a complaint to the Punjagutta police, Sridhar said that N Bhujanga Rao, who previously worked as Additional SP of Intelligence, tapped his phone.

He also provided the evidence with him to the police. He alleged that Bhujanga called him to the office and threatened him. Also, police filed an illegal case against him. The police are also interrogating Sridhar Rao in the case.

Earlier, the state government suspended Additional DCP Thirupathanna and Additional Superintendent of Police N Bhujanga Rao were suspended from services for allegedly being involved in an illegal phone tapping.

The two police officials had earlier worked as Additional Superintendents of Police in the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) and Intelligence Department, respectively. They were accused of colluding with suspended DSP of the SIB, D Praneeth Rao, for allegedly erasing the intelligence information from various electronic gadgets as well as for alleged phone tapping during the previous BRS regime.