Phone Tapping Case: Celebs Among Fresh Victims Surface in SIT Probe
To intensify the probe, the SIT is further identifying victims and witnesses emerging from investigation findings, with plans to record additional statements.
Hyderabad: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing unauthorised phone‑tapping cases has so far recorded over 400 statements from victims and witnesses. These include individuals subjected to extortion threats, those whose phones were tapped, and confessions from the arrested accused corroborated by SIT’s findings.
To intensify the probe, the SIT is further identifying victims and witnesses emerging from investigation findings, with plans to record additional statements. A supplementary chargesheet will be filed soon, reliable sources disclosed.
Since FIR No. 243 of 2024 was lodged, more than 400 statements have been recorded. Several additional victims have been identified during the course of investigation, with the purpose of strengthening the case against the arrested accused as directed by superior officials, SIT sources said.
Among the victims are celebrities, senior bureaucrats, film actors, and businessmen who were threatened and extorted. Some politicians and businessmen are voluntarily approaching the SIT, stating they suspect their phones were tapped during elections, sources further disclosed.
A special team has been formed within the SIT to identify more victims and witnesses. Upon completion, a supplementary chargesheet will be filed before the court, ensuring that victims whose statements have been recorded will, as per law, become witnesses during prosecution, a senior official explained.
The SIT is serving notices only to victims whose names have recently surfaced during investigation findings, as well as those revealed in statements by the arrested accused, sources said.
Based on findings and confessions of the accused — including former SIB chief T. Prabhakar Rao, I‑News MD Sharavan Kumar Rao, retired DCP city task force B. Radhakishan Rao, M. Tirupatanna, N. Bhujanga Rao, D. Praneeth Rao and others — the SIT has established that phone tapping was misused for extortion, land dealings, and other offences allegedly on the instructions of the BRS government.
Officials are sorting the recorded statements on a priority basis and preparing a fresh list of victims identified during investigation, sources disclosed.
SIT officials, led by V.C. Sajjanar along with eight other senior officers, have instructed subordinates to complete recording of victim statements by the end of May. These will be added to the supplementary chargesheet as exhibits during prosecution and presented before the court, where victims will be considered witnesses.
So far, Dugyala Praneeth Rao (former DSP SOT‑SIB), ASP N. Bhujanga Rao, ASP M. Tirupatanna, and retired DCP B. Radhakishan Rao have been arrested and later released on bail after spending over seven months in prison. During the investigation, they openly revealed the names of several top BRS leaders.
