Phone tapping case: Punjagutta police seek custody of two additional SP officers

The Punjagutta police have submitted a petition to the court, requesting custody of two Additional SP rank officers who were apprehended on Saturday in connection with the phone tapping investigation.

Hyderabad: The Punjagutta police filed a petition before the court seeking custody of two Additional SP rank officers who were arrested on Saturday in the phone tapping case.

The officials Thirupathanna, Additional DCP, CSW, Hyderabad police who formerly worked as Additional SP, SIB and N Bhujanga Rao, Additional SP, Bhupalpally, formerly Additional SP, Intelligence Department were arrested late on Saturday night and remanded.

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According to the DCP (west), S M Vijay Kumar the two police officers have confessed about their involvement in the crimes including conspiracy to monitor private persons illegally by developing their profiles, which amounts to abusing their official positions. Also, the officials had allegedly caused disappearance of evidence by destroying the public property to conceal their involvement in collusion with the Pranith Rao DSP (under suspension), formerly working in SIB and some other persons.

Meanwhile, former SIB chief Prabhakar Rao, who is cited as one of the suspects in the case, reportedly spoke to some police officials over phone and informed them that he had gone to the US for treatment.

He reportedly told the police officers that he would be back in the city in June or July. The police issued a Look out Circular (LoC) against Prabhakar Rao and former Task Force DCP, Radha Krishna Rao when they had left for the US after a case was registered in regard to phone tapping issue.

The police during their investigation into the phone tapping case found that the gadgets used for the purpose were allegedly imported from Israel illegally. The equipment was imported by a security expert who is from the city. He had assisted the then head of the Special Intelligence Bureau to set up the network at different places in the State including the residences of several Congress leaders. The Hyderabad police are reportedly gearing up to question the security expert.