Hyderabad: Significant developments have surfaced in the ongoing illegal phone tapping case, with new information revealing that over 4,500 phones were tapped within just 15 days through the Special Intelligence Branch. This information came to light during a hearing on Saturday, where the Public Prosecutor informed the High Court while opposing the bail plea of the fourth accused, Mekala Tirupathanna.
According to authorities, the phone tapping occurred between November 15 and 30, coinciding with the election period. The tapped phones primarily belonged to BSNL, Vodafone, and Jio networks, while data related to the tapping of hundreds of Airtel phones was reportedly destroyed by the accused.
Further investigations have led to the discovery of around 340 GB of data concerning the phone tapping of prominent individuals, including Revanth Reddy, other political leaders, and businessmen. Hyderabad police have already filed a charge sheet and are now preparing a supplementary charge sheet in light of the new findings.
Meanwhile, efforts to extradite key accused Prabhakar Rao and Shravan Rao from abroad are ongoing. A red corner notice has been issued, and police are preparing for their compulsory return to India. Once they are brought in for interrogation, further details regarding the phone tapping operation are expected to emerge. Authorities aim to submit the supplementary charge sheet based on additional evidence collected during the investigation.