Phone Tapping Case Filed Against Ex-Minister and Police Officials in Hyderabad
Hyderabad: The Punjagutta police have registered a case against former minister and BRS MLA T Harish Rao, along with DCP Task Force Radha Kishan and others, for allegedly tapping the phone of real-estate businessman and Congress leader G Chakradhar Goud. Chakradhar accused them of illegally monitoring his calls.
The case has been filed under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 386 (extortion), 409 (criminal breach of trust), 506 (criminal intimidation), and Section 66 of the IT Act-2008. According to Chakradhar, the issue came to light during the election campaign when several of his followers received threatening calls, warning them not to attend his meetings and rallies.
Chakradhar claimed that these callers seemed to know private details, including his conversations and contacts, leading him to suspect that his phone was being tapped. He alleged that the accused were behind the surveillance of his activities.
The complainant, who is also the founder of the Farmers First Foundation, suggested that Harish Rao may have developed a grudge against him due to his charitable work. This included providing financial aid to the families of farmers who had committed suicide. Chakradhar also reported receiving threatening messages and warnings to stop his charitable and political efforts.
Chakradhar further alleged that the MLA influenced police officials to monitor him. “On Harish Rao’s directions, a false case was filed against me, leading to my arrest and 10 days in judicial custody before securing bail,” he said. He added that he continued receiving threatening messages from unknown numbers afterward.
In his formal complaint, Chakradhar requested legal action against Harish Rao, Radha Kishan Rao, and others involved in the alleged unlawful activities. Following this, cases were registered against the accused.
The investigation has also linked two former BRS MLAs, Jaipal Yadav and Chirumarthi Lingaiah, to the phone-tapping case. Both were questioned by police last month regarding their involvement.
Meanwhile, Hyderabad police are actively probing the case. Four police officials, who are currently suspended, were arrested earlier for allegedly erasing intelligence data from electronic devices. The former chief of the Telangana Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) and another accused remain absconding and are believed to be in the United States.
