Telangana Snooping Case: Why 62 Hard Disks Were Allegedly Destroyed?

A significant development has been reported in the alleged Telangana snooping case according to a report in The Indian Express. A probe by the Hyderabad Police has revealed that on the night of December 4, 2023, CCTV cameras at Telangana’s premier intelligence organisation, the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB), were allegedly turned off for the one hour between 8.34 pm and 9.34 pm. Investigators probing the Telangana illegal surveillance told The Indian Express that during this time, 62 hard disks were allegedly destroyed-cut, ground to bits and thrown into a river-in an anteroom at the Hyderabad office. 

What is the Telangana phone tapping case?

According to The Daily Jagran, it is alleged that the phones of many high-profiled people, including the current Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, celebrities and businessmen were taped during the former Telangana CM’s Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao (KCR)’s political party Bharat Rashtra Samithi. Allegations have been made that the surveillance was also used to blackmail the businessmen into contributing huge amounts to the BRS fund. In March 2024, the news agency PTI had reported that three senior police officers were arrested and a lookout notice was also issued to T Prabhakar Rao, former Chief of The Intelligence Bureau. 

What did Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said in this case?

According to the IANS, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, has been called as a witness in this alleged phone-tapping case. Talking to the media, Mr Kumar said, “During BRS regime, My phone was most tapped by KCR. Every second surveillance was kept. In the name of Maoists, not only my phone, the then PCC Chief Revanth Reddy, Harish Rao and even KCR’s own daughter Kavitha’s phones were also tapped.” Mr Kumar had also shared this video on X (formerly Twitter). In 2024, police had arrested four cops in this case who were later released on bail.

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