Hyderabad: For the first time, the “TRS Supremo” figured in the phone-tapping case that has been creating political tremors in Telangana state.
P. Radha Kishan Rao, retired deputy commissioner of police of the city task force, in his confession statement, he made references to “TRS supremo” more than once. This is expected to have far-reaching consequences particularly in the backdrop of the Congress and the opposition BJP accusing BRS (formerly TRS) president K. Chandrashekar Rao and his son and party working president K.T. Rama Rao of being the chief architects and ultimate beneficiaries of snoopgate.
In the confession statement, a copy of which is available with Deccan Chronicle, Radha Kishan Rao said he was “posted as DCP, Task Force, in 2017 by ‘TRS supremo’ to maintain a hold on Hyderabad city for political and other reasons”.
He went on to explain how he along with former IG intelligence T. Prabhakar Rao, who emerged as the kingpin in phone-tapping and was Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) head at that time, and other accused “conspired to ensure BRS victory for third time in 2023 elections” and “keep tight control of BRS party and its supremo (over the political rivals and dissidents within the party)”.
The former cop told the investigators that “surveillance was put on activities of political leader(s) of opponent parties, their family members, associate supporters, business persons, critics of BRS party and also suspicious activities of person(s) within BRS”.
Sources also said there were indications that Radha Kishan Rao, Accused No. 4 in the case, might turn approver and unconfirmed reports suggested that Prabhakar Rao had also sent feelers on spilling the beans. Other accused, N. Bhujanga Rao and G. Thirputanna, ASP rank officials, were arrested and their inputs gave authentic leads in investigation.
Radha Kishan Rao said Prabhakar Rao was brought into the SIB because of caste equations (he belonged to former chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s Velama caste) and he in turn handpicked other team members either on caste equation or with acquaintance in previous postings.
Radha Kishan Rao in his statement stated on the directions of Prabhakar Rao, during the Assembly election in December 2018, D. Praneeth Rao, suspended DSP of the SIB, shared inputs to him and based on that they seized `70 lakh that belonged to Anand Bhaskar, owner of Bhavya Cements at Paradise. Anand Bhaskar was a TD contestant from the Serilingampally Assembly constituency.
During the Dubbak byelections in 2020, Praneeth Rao shared technical surveillance and identified the target and the city task force seized `1 crore in Begumpet from the relatives of BJP contestant M. Raghunandan Rao, who run a chit fund in Siddipet. During the Munugodu bypoll in the second week of October 2022 the team intercepted G. Sai Kumar Reddy, Kunde Mahesh, D. Sandeep Kumar, M. Mahender, A. Anush Reddy and V. Bharat, associates of then BJP candidate Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy, and seized `3.5 crore cash and handed it over to the Gandhinagar police.
Prabhakar Rao allegedly created special operations team (SOT) war rooms in different districts exclusively for the purpose of surveillance over targeted political leaders and their associates, rebels and dissidents within the TRS/BRS and candidates to induce rivals to join the BRS which was clearly against the mandate of the SIB.
Radha Kishan Rao also stated that after his superannuation in 2020, he influenced the then BRS government by using his caste equation, got appointed as officer on special duty of the city task force for three years till 2023 and continued till the elections.
Further, on Radha Kishan Rao’s recommendation, Gattu Mallu was posted as inspector, west zone task force, and later in the SIB to accomplish the conspiracy.
Further, they decided to communicate with each other in encrypted social media apps such as Whatsapp, SnapChat from not being detected about their clandestine and unauthorised activities using the technology and tools manpower at their disposal, Radha Kishan Rao’s confession statement stated.
However, Radha Kishan Rao’s counsel filed a counter on his police custody at the court on Monday and orders have been served.
