Prabhakar Rao To SIT: Where Is Proof To Show I Ordered Destruction Of Hard Disks
The former SIB chief was asked to appear before the SIT for further questioning on June 11.
Hyderabad:The Special Investigation Team (SIT) questioned T. Prabhakar Rao, the former chief of the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB), for eight hours on Monday, seeking to determine why hard disks containing sensitive content stored for decades were destroyed just days before he quit. The former SIB chief was asked to appear before the SIT for further questioning on June 11.
Around 11 am on Monday, Prabhakar Rao, who had returned from the US on Saturday, arrived at the Jubilee Hills police station to appear before the SIT) led by Jubilee Hills assistant commissioner of police (ACP) P. Venkatagiri. West zone DCP S.M. Vijay Kumar joined the team in questioning the retired IPS officer later. He was questioned in camera for eight hours till 7.30 pm.
SIT officials reportedly asked Prabhakar Rao why he had quit his post immediately after the results of the Assembly elections were announced on December 3, 2023.
The SIT officials framed the questions based on the statements given by other officials — M Tirupatanna, N Bhujanga Rao, G. Praneeth Rao and P. Radha Kishan Rao — who allegedly played a key role in the phone-tapping case. They asked him why he ordered his team members to destroy hard disks, containing sensitive matters, just days before his resignation.
In his reply, the sources said Prabhakar Rao asked the SIT officials to show him evidence to prove that he had ordered the destruction of the hard disks.
They also reportedly tried to get information on creating profiles whose mobile numbers were intercepted by the then SIB officers. In a reply, it was reported that Prabhakar Rao said that he has already quit his job.
Showing the statements of other accused in the case, the SIT officials asked why CCTV cameras in the SIB office were switched off and why 36 hard disks were replaced with new ones and destroyed the information contained in the old hard disks. The SIT team asked Prabhakar Rao, who instructed the then SIB officials to destroy the hard disks.
When he tried to evade answers, the SIT officials reportedly narrated the series incidents starting from the resignation of Prabhakar Rao on December 4, 2023, the appointment of an in-charge official the same day, and the acceptance of his resignation on December 11, 2023. They said that the hard disks were allegedly destroyed after the review committee’s meeting on December 2, 2023. In turn, Prabhakar Rao asked the SIT officials to show any evidence in giving instructions to destroy the hard disks.
It was also reported that the SIT asked about the replacement of hard disks of 17 computers and two laptops of G. Praneeth Rao's special operations team (SOT), seven computer systems of the additional SPs team, eight computer systems of CAT, a system of social media lab and a system of CC/PA of Prabhakar Rao under the instructions of Praneeth Rao on December 4, 2023, the day Prabhakar Rao tendered his resignation.
