The phone tapping scandal in Telangana has taken a dramatic turn with revelations that BJP senior leader and Tripura Governor Indrasena Reddy’s phone was under surveillance for 15 days in November 2023. The shocking detail has come to the fore during the questioning of his personal assistant (PA). What makes it significant is that the surveillance happened just a few weeks after Reddy assumed office as the Governor of Tripura on October 19, 2023.
While earlier reports suggested that the phone tapping targeted Congress leaders, new findings reveal that BJP leaders were also subjected to monitoring. Officials have confirmed that Indrasena Reddy’s phone was tapped for two weeks, and his PA, who oversees a large portion of his work, was extensively interrogated. Investigators believe the PA could play a key role as a witness in the ongoing inquiry.
Indrasena Reddy had previously lodged a complaint with the police about the phone tapping incident. Acting on his complaint, authorities registered a case and initiated an investigation. The probe now focuses on uncovering the motive behind targeting the phone of a sitting Governor. Initial investigations suggest that as many as phones, belonging to politicians, business tycoons, real estate magnates, and film industry personalities, may have been tapped. Authorities believe a deeper investigation will reveal the full scope of the operation.
In March 2024, a case was filed at Panjagutta Police Station alleging unauthorized phone tapping during the BRS government’s tenure, reportedly using SEBI as a front. The following day, DSP Praneeth Rao was arrested, while IPS officers Prabhakar Rao and Shravan Rao fled the country. Efforts are currently underway to extradite the two officers to India to further the investigation.
