Phone-tapping accused seize crores from ministers’ associates

Hyderabad: The team involved in the alleged phone tapping has allegedly seized money from the associates of ministers including Uttam Kumar Reddy, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy. Additional SP Thirupatanna played a key role in seizing money.

Thirupatanna confessed to the Hyderabad police about his involvement in the phone-tapping operation. According to Thirupatanna’s confession, the raids were carried out on the orders of Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) Chief Prabhakar Rao and Bhujanga Rao. He said that a special team of two CIs and 20 constables was formed for such activities, and 40 to 50 cellphones have been tapped per day. In the statement given by Thirupatanna, the police recorded that he had worked in the special task force in the recent assembly elections as well as in the by- elections.

The officer said that a special election WhatsApp group was also created. He said that money was seized from the leaders of Congress and BJP on the information given by SIB DSP Praneeth Rao. In Kollur, Rs 90 lakh and Rs 1.95 crore were seized from Revanth Reddy's friend. Similarly, he conducted 15 operations based on the information of Praneeth Rao.

He said that Rs 10.5 crore were seized from Raghava Infra belonging to minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Rs 3 crore from MLA Rajagopal Reddy's friend Venu, Rs 50 lakh from Visakha Industries belonging to MLA Vinod, Rs 35 lakh from Giridhar, a friend of minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, Rs 90 lakh from Jhansi Reddy, aunt of MLA Yashaswini Reddy, and Rs 10 lakh from another friend of minister Ponguleti in Khammam, the owner of a fertilizer company.

He confessed that a total of 300 cell phones were tapped. And after Congress won the election, all the data in three computers and nine loggers were destroyed.

The police revealed the statement of Additional SP Bhujanga Rao. In his confession, Bhujanga Rao revealed the opposition leaders’ phones were tapped.

He said those who provide financial assistance to the BJP and Congress parties were secretly recorded. He revealed that the phones of the opposition leaders as well as their family members, student leaders and journalists were tapped, and their vehicles were also tracked.

It was done since the by-elections of Dubbaka, Huzurabad and Munugode assembly constituencies along with the GHMC elections.

Bhujanga Rao said that they have recorded the phones of leaders who criticised K T Rama Rao regarding the Telangana State Public Service Commission paper leakage. The investigation team was told that the details, names, mobile numbers and entire profile of those making comments against him have been handed over to Praneeth Rao.

It was revealed that the entire operation was conducted with the support of Madhapur SOT police.

Earlier, the police revealed the statements given by former DCP Task Force P Radha Kishan Rao, SIB DSP Praneeth Rao, who were arrested in the alleged phone tapping case.