Top-secret letters exposes 'illegal surveillance' during BRS regime in Telangana
What's the story
The Telangana phone tapping case is heating up nearly 20 months after a "top secret" letter reached the state's intelligence office on December 6, 2023. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) will question Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar and his staff on August 8 in Hyderabad. His statement, which was delayed due to Parliament sessions, is likely to include details from central agencies that could prove illegal phone tapping of judges, bureaucrats, and private citizens.
Probe progress
Case began with telecom companies' query
The case, which has been under intense political and legal scrutiny, started on December 6, 2023, three days after the Congress unseated the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government. It started after telecom companies sought clarification from the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB), asking if the legal monitoring of certain phone numbers from November 16-30 should continue. The letter showed that nearly 600 phones were tapped, but none were related to Left Wing Extremism, which the SIB was supposed to track.
Key complaint
Case took turn with complaint against DSP
Instead, opposition leaders, government officials, and a sitting high court judge, among others, were monitored. The investigation gained momentum on March 10, 2024, when an Additional Superintendent of Police lodged a complaint against DSP G Praneeth Rao. The complaint accused Rao of illegal phone monitoring and evidence destruction. This was a major turning point in the case and led to the formation of the SIT. On June 8, charges were filed against five senior police and intelligence officials.
Evidence tampering
Hard drives containing data on political profiling destroyed
The SIT investigation also revealed that on December 4, 62 hard drives were destroyed at the SIB office. Some of these drives were later recovered from the Musi River and allegedly contained political profiling data. A key witness, former Task Force officer Radha Kishan Rao, testified that the operation was ordered by "peddayina," believed to refer to BRS leader and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.
Legal proceedings
Political battle continues over phone tapping scandal
On May 29, 2025, the Supreme Court granted interim protection from arrest to Prabhakar Rao till August 5. The state and central governments opposed this order, but the court allowed it as Rao agreed to cooperate with the investigation. The scandal has since turned into a political battle, with BRS leader Praveen Kumar demanding a CBI probe against Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for alleged misuse of private agencies and Pegasus spyware.
Ongoing investigation
Phone tapping could have started in 2018
The SIT is now reviewing a larger list of 1,600 tapped phone numbers. This list was provided by former Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari during her testimony on June 22. BJP MPs Eatala Rajender and Konda Vishweshwar Reddy confirmed that the phone tapping could have started as early as 2018. On July 6, the SIT stated it found no evidence of monitoring film actors; its focus remains on political figures and government officials.