Hyderabad court dismisses ex police officer’s bail petition in phone tapping case

Hyderabad, May 2: A city court on Thursday dismissed bail petitions of former Deputy Commissioner of Police (Task Force) P. Radha Kishan Rao in a phone-tapping case.

Nampally City Court pronounced the orders on the bail plea by Radha Kishan Rao, who had also served as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in Task Force.

The court argued with the argument by the police that if released on bail the accused may try to influence the witnesses.

The police alleged that the former DCP threatened some businessmen and also arm-twisted one of them to take electoral bonds in the favour of a political party.

It was also alleged that he was involved in targeted seizure of cash belonging to opposition parties and transport of cash of some individuals including BRS MLC P. Venkatram Reddy during elections. Radha Kishan Rao was arrested as a conspirator along with other suspended police officials, D. Praneeth Rao, Bhujanga Rao and Thirupathanna for keeping surveillance on opposition leaders, bureaucrats and journalists.

The court on April 26 had dismissed the bail petitions of three other accused.

The phone tapping came to light in March when a case was registered with the Panjagutta police after a petition was filed by Additional SP, SIB D. Ramesh.

When the BRS was in power, then chief of Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) T. Prabhakar Rao had allegedly constituted a team within SIB with his trusted aides including DSP D. Praneeth Rao for surveillance of rival political leaders and their families and dissidents within the ruling party.

Praneeth Rao was arrested after he allegedly destroyed hard disks and other data after the Congress party came to power.

Bhujanga Rao, Additional Superintendent of Police in Bhupalpally district and Tirupathanna, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, City Security Wing, Hyderabad City Police were arrested on March 23.

They had earlier served in SIB. Radha Kishan Rao was arrested early last month.

Prabhakar Rao, a retired IPS officer, is reported to be abroad.

The police had last week denied issuing a red corner notice for him.

Meanwhile, BJP general secretary Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Thursday alleged that attempts are being made to dilute the phone tapping case to save the family of former chief minister and BRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

He claimed that his and his family members' phones were tapped.

He said Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and BRS leader Harish Rao were also victims of phone tapping.

Bandi Sanjay said if the Congress party is sincere in investigating the case, it should hand it over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).