The phone tapping controversy is snowballing into a major issue with a police inspector, who is privy to details about the tapping episode, stating that a top cop of ADGP rank had played a major role in the incident that involved eavesdropping into the private conversations of many senior IPS officers.

The phone conversations, leaked to media, included a purported call between Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao and a man identified as Faraz, a suspect in a ponzi scam.

A miffed ADGP-rank officer, who is said to have had a role in the phone tapping, is also alleged to have leaked the audio clips of the conversations to the media two days ago, sources told DH.

In one of the audio clips that dates back to the Congress-JD(S) coalition government period, Faraz claims he is a close aide of veteran Congress leader Ahmed Patel and promises to influence party top brass in getting Rao the position of city police commissioner.

Following orders from Rao, a team led by joint commissioner of police (crime) is probing into the audio clips. It has emerged that not only Rao, but 49 other IPS officers, including all those in the rank of ADGP, were eligible to become Bengaluru police commissioner.

“The Joint CP will submit a report soon and the government will be the better judge to take a call on legal proceedings on whoever is responsible for this (phone tapping),” Rao told DH.

Following media reports that the tapping incident took place during Alok Kumar’s tenure as Bengaluru police commissioner, DH sought his views. But Kumar, who was recently shunted out as the city police commissioner, said he would not like to respond to rumours.

“Legal phone interceptions are done strictly for suspects and offenders. If someone is in touch with suspects or offenders, it cannot be helped,” Kumar told DH.

“And for the approval of these interceptions, there are many supervisory layers including that of the city police commissioner’s approval. No joint commissioner of police or additional commissioner of police can order for phone interceptions, it should be ordered by minimum the city police commissioner,” Kumar added.

Phones tapped?

Sources in the police department said phones of over 600 political leaders have also been tapped in the recent months.

A senior BJP MLA from Bengaluru has filed a police complaint alleging his phone along with several others in his party had been tapped.

It is said that the tapping took place in the previous Cong-JD(S) coalition government for the purpose of gathering intelligence inputs.