Phone tapping case: Two senior police officials arrested in Hyderabad

Two more senior police officials have been arrested by Hyderabad Police in connection with the case of phone tapping and destroying certain computer systems and official data.

During the investigation, additional DCP Thirupathanna and additional superintendent of police N Bhujanga Rao, were arrested, an official release from Hyderabad police late on Saturday night, 24 March, said.

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, who was earlier arrested by Hyderabad police for allegedly erasing the intelligence information from various electronic gadgets as well as for alleged phone tapping during the previous BRS regime.

"During the questioning, the two police officials have confessed to their involvement in the reported crimes including conspiracy to monitor private persons illegally by developing their profiles and abusing their official positions; to cause disappearance of evidence by destroying the public property to conceal their involvement in collusion with the already arrested D Praneeth Kumar alias Praneeth Rao, DSP (under suspension) and some other persons", the release said.

Further investigation is under progress, they said.

On 13 March, Praneeth Rao, accused of developing profiles of unknown persons and monitoring the same clandestinely, unauthorisedly and illegally besides destroying certain computer systems and official data was arrested, police earlier said.

Rao was recently suspended by the Telangana government. He was a DSP during the previous BRS dispensation and was subsequently working in the office of the director general of police (DGP). He was earlier accused of tapping phones of opposition party leaders.

Based on a complaint filed by an additional superintendent of police of the SIB on March 10, a case was registered against Praneeth Rao and others at the Panjagutta police station here on charges of criminal breach of trust by a public servant, causing disappearance of evidence, and criminal conspiracy.