Telangana phone tapping case: HC grants bail to two accused

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has granted bail to two of the accused in the infamous phone tapping case on the basis that the petitioners have been in jail for a long time and also there is a likelihood of delay in commencing the trial.

Former Deputy Commissioner of Police P Radha Kishan Rao and Bhujanga Rao, a suspended police official who were arrested in March last year in connection with the case, were granted bail on Thursday.

The Public Prosecutor submitted a sealed cover to the HC and argued that, during the investigation, they discovered the personal computer of one of the accused with certain information about Judges.

The court ordered the accused to execute a bond of Rs 1 lakh with two sureties of the same amount and also surrender their passports, as part of the bail conditions.

The court has also directed them to appear before the Station House officer concerned at 11 am on every Monday for a period of eight weeks, for the purpose of investigation, and thereafter, as and when required.

Four police officials, including a suspended DSP of the SIB, were arrested by Hyderabad Police for allegedly erasing the intelligence information from various electronic gadgets and the phone tapping allegedly happened during the previous BRS regime.

The former chief of the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) in Telangana and another accused are still absconding in the case and suspected to be in the US.

The suspended DSP and his team developed profiles of hundreds of people and intercepted phone calls of several others, police had said.

Those accused in the case have allegedly put the phones of some political leaders, a High Court Judge and his family members and others under surveillance.