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Telangana HC grants bail to 2 key accused in phone tapping case
The Telangana high court on Thursday granted bail to former additional superintendent of police (ASP) N Bhujanga Rao and former deputy commissioner of police (DCP) P Radha Kishan Rao
The Telangana high court on Thursday granted bail to former additional superintendent of police (ASP) N Bhujanga Rao and former deputy commissioner of police (DCP) P Radha Kishan Rao in the alleged telephone phone tapping case that rocked the state last year, people familiar with the matter said.
Justice K Sujana, which reserved the orders on December 27, pronounced the judgement on Thursday after completion of hearing on the regular bail petition of the accused. She granted the bail to the accused on health grounds.
The judge ordered that Bhujanga Rao and Radha Kishan Rao be released on the condition that they submit two sureties each of ₹1 lakh and surrender their passports. The former police officials were also directed to cooperate in the investigation.
The release of the two accused came three days after the Supreme Court granted bail to former additional SP Mekala Thirupathanna in the same case. The apex court allowed the bail plea while directing the trial court to impose stringent bail conditions.
A bench comprising justice BV Nagarathna and justice Satish Chandra Sharma observed that there was no reason why the ASP must remain incarcerated when the charge sheet was filed and the trial was yet to commence. Earlier, Thirupathanna’s bail plea had been rejected by the Telangana high court in October 2024.
The phone tapping case first surfaced in March 2024, when a complaint was filed by D Ramesh, the ASP of the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB), accusing deputy superintendent of police D Praneeth Rao, of illegal phone tapping.
On March 13, 2024, the police arrested Praneeth Rao and further investigations that revealed a large-scale surveillance operation targeting various individuals, including political opponents, businessmen, journalists, and even judges.
The police have named six accused in the case, including former SIB chief T Prabhakar Rao, D Praneeth Rao, M Thirupathanna, N Bhujanga Rao and former DCP Radha Kishan Rao, besides Shravan Kumar, a television channel owner.
The accused were booked under Sections 409, 427, 201, 120-B read with 34 of the IPC, Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act (PDPP Act), and Sections 65, 66 and 70 of the Information Technology Act.
While Prabhakar Rao and Sravan Kumar are absconding and are in the United States. The Telangana police, who issued a Red Corner notice for them, have initiated the process for getting them extradited to India through Union ministry of external affairs.
