Prabhakar Rao Got Phone Tapping Nod by Deception, Says Shanthi Kumari
However, the former SIB officers in all tapped approximately 1,700 phone numbers.
Hyderabad: Phone-tapping case main accused T. Prabhakhar Rao and his team misled the review committee, which has to approve interception operations, by misreporting phone numbers, the panel’s then head, former chief secretary Shanti Kumari, has reportedly stated.
Prabhakar Rao as head of the special intelligence bureau (SIB) during the BRS government tenure, had tapped the phones of politicians, business persons, actors, judges and media persons. He had reportedly told the committee that the numbers belonged to terror and Maoist suspects and needed to be tapped, Shanti Kumari on Monday informed the special investigation team (SIT) investigating the phone-tapping case, according to sources.
Apart from Shanti Kumari, the SIT questioned former chief secretary Somesh Kumar, former secretary, political, M. Raghunandan Rao and former intelligence chief Naveen Chand as witnesses in the phone-tapping operation.
An officer disclosed that the review committee had approved 690 phone numbers for tapping just before the 2023 elections. However, the former SIB officers in all tapped approximately 1,700 phone numbers.
The SIT asked Naveen Chand, intelligence chief when Prabhakar Rao was with the SIB, about the person who gave phone numbers to Prabhakar Rao. “Were you aware of secret war-room set up for phone tapping in various districts,” Naveen Chand was asked.
During questioning, Prabhakar Rao reportedly said that he acted on the directions of his senior officers and that his actions were cleared by the review committee set up for the purpose.
This statement led to the SIT questioning Somesh Kumar, Shanti Kumari and Naveen Chand. Other high-ranked officials, such as former DGP Anjani Kumar, could be questioned, the sources disclosed.
The officials, who were already questioned in August 2024, agreed to cooperate during Prabhakar Rao's interrogation, a police officer disclosed.
