Telangana's ex SIB chief Prabhakar Rao surrenders in connection with phone-tapping case

Hyderabad: Following a Supreme Court directive, former Telangana Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) chief T Prabhakar Rao surrendered before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Friday morning in Hyderabad in connection with the alleged phone-tapping case during the previous BRS regime. The SIT began questioning him as part of his custodial interrogation. The Supreme Court on Thursday instructed him to surrender immediately and cooperate with investigators.

The bench headed by Justice BV Nagaratnam directed the SIT to ensure his safety in custody, prohibit the use of any third-degree methods, and allow him to receive home-cooked food. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for December 19. During interrogation, probe team reportedly questioned Prabhakar Rao on several key aspects. As part of the inquiry, he provided access to his cloud storage by entering the necessary passwords.

It is understood that the SIT found several crucial documents and digital files stored there, which are now being examined. Sources said the SIT is focusing on understanding why and at whose behest the phones of several political leaders and businessmen were tapped without approval from the mandated review committee.

As the prime accused in the sensational phone tapping case, Rao's first appearance before SIT came in January this year nearly 14 months after the FIR was registered regarding alleged surveillance activities during the BRS regime. Until then, Rao had evaded SIT notices while staying in the United States.

The investigation team had issued lookout notices against him, and Telangana police had even approached Interpol to issue red corner notices. The ongoing investigation has revealed the extensive scope of the alleged surveillance operation.

According to the probe, a DSP in the SIB had amassed a huge cache of data, recording at least 10 lakh two-way conversations over an extended period. Sources within Hyderabad police indicated that the officer operated three private war rooms equipped with exclusive private servers to conduct the phone tapping. The DSP has reportedly confessed that all these activities were carried out under Prabhakar Rao's supervision.

The intercepted conversations allegedly include recordings of the then-opposition leader and current Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, real estate developers, bureaucrats, and several media personalities.