Key Political Figures Implicated in BRS Phone-Tapping Scam Confession
HYDERABAD: The special investigation team probing into the BRS-regime phone-tapping scam have reportedly collected information about the alleged involvement of three ministers, three BRS MLA and three party MLC from the accused M. Radha Kishan Rao, a retired police official, during his seven-day police custody period.
Radha Kishan Rao in his statement that was recorded on video in the presence of his counsel reportedly broke down and disclosed that he and former SIB chief T. Prabhakar Rao had played a vital role in coordinating between political leaders, police and mediators. He elaborated on their method of operation, the names of political leaders, mediators and other police officials before he was remanded to judicial custody, sources said.
Based on Radha Kishan Rao’s confession police have so far got listed government officers as prime witnesses and their names have been reportedly added in Radha Kishan Rao’s remand report, police sources disclosed.
The witnesses have been identified as CID inspector Gundu Venkat Rao, task force inspector (admin) K. Srikanth, sub-inspector Sai Kiran, Shaikpet deputy MRO Chandrasekhar Mora, and Khairatabad deputy MRO Bandari Srinivas.
When Radha Kishan Rao reportedly fell unconscious for a while during interrogation previously, one of the investigation officer told him: “Your health is getting affected because of those who have got you into this. It is better for you to disclose everything.”
Radha Kishan Rao reportedly confessed that he was initially following the instructions of Prabhakar Rao later acted in accordance with the orders of four key party leaders. He confessed that he used to help an MLC, his childhood friend, and transported huge amounts of money, some of which was received via extortion, during the Assembly elections, sources claimed.
The former cop reportedly confessed that he hand-picked a sub inspector of the central zone task force with whom he escorted the MLC's money, sources disclosed.
To operate independently, he and the sub-inspector secured SIM cards and phones with the MLC’s help.
Radha Kishan Rao along with his team used to give daily situation reports on political leaders to Prabhakar Rao six to seven times a day, sources said.
The police teams in the fourth phase of investigation probably after the Lok Sabha elections will be issuing notice to the senior political leaders after a final approval from superior police officers, police sources disclosed.
Meanwhile, Sircilla Congress leader K.K. Mahender Reddy said that prior to the Assembly elections, he was forced to join the BRS. “I lodged a complaint stating I suspect K.T. Rama Rao in the phone-tapping,” he said. Everything he spoke on the phone was known to Rama Rao, he claimed.
He said Rama Rao had filed a defamation case on him and claimed that it proved that the BRS leader was involved in phone- tapping. “The defamation suit does not apply to my complaint legally, KTR thinks he is still in power,” Mahender Reddy said.
“The notice served to me by KTR is against the law, I will file a complaint against KTR for threatening me,” Mahender Reddy said.
