Telangana initiates process to bring back accused in phone tapping
case from US
Hyderabad: Telangana Police have initiated the process to bring back two accused, including the former chief of Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) T. Prabhakar Rao, to India from the United States in the phone-tapping case.
Director General of Police Jitender that their request for Red Corner Notices (RCNs) is with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“We have initiated the process. It is already with the CBI. Let us hope because the international process takes some time. I have worked in CBI. I know about it. In many cases, it takes years,” the police chief said while replying to a query during a year-ender press conference.
“The international process is not that simple because there are so many guidelines, so many practices,” he said.
The DGP said that Interpol, which issues Red Corner notices, has several standard operating procedures.
It was in August that the state police approached the CBI for a request to issue an RCN against Prabhakar Rao and managing director of a private news channel Sravan Kumar.
The phone-tapping allegations under the previous government of BRS came to light in March this year with the arrest of Deputy Superintendent of Police Praneeth Rao following a complaint from his superior, D. Ramesh, Additional SP with the SIB.
Then chief of SIB, Prabhakar Rao had allegedly constituted a team within the bureau with his trusted aides including Praneeth Rao for surveillance of rival political leaders, their families and dissidents within the ruling party, businessmen, journalists and even judges.
The police have so far named six accused in the case. Praneeth Rao, Additional SPs Thirupathanna and Bhujanga Rao and former DCP P. Radha Kishan Rao were arrested in the case.
The police had last month questioned former MLAs Jaipal Yadav and Chirumarthi Lingaiah in the phone tapping case.
Last week, Telangana High Court reserved the orders on a bail petition filed by Bhujanga Rao. It also extended his interim bail till December 30. The public prosecutor had prayed to the court to dismiss the petition on the ground that his ailments were not as serious as claimed by him and on this ground, he has been out of prison for the last four and half months.
The High Court also granted interim bail to retired police officer Radhakishan Rao for four days to attend his father-in-law’s death anniversary rituals.