Hyderabad: Suspended deputy superintendent of police (DSP) D. Praneeth Kumar alias Praneeth Rao, who worked with the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) when the BRS was in power, allegedly tapped the phones of not only the then-Opposition leaders but also reportedly recorded conversations of senior police officers and prominent persons in different fields.
SIB officials, who obtained preliminary inquiry reports, lodged a complaint with Panjagutta police seeking action against Praneeth Rao for misusing his powers and causing the disappearance of records. Sources said that the SIB officials had obtained preliminary reports in connection with the alleged misuse of power by Praneeth Rao in recording telephonic conversations of Opposition leaders and others.
The SIB is a specialised organisation within the intelligence department and is meant for collection of intelligence on left wing extremism (LWE).
SIB additional SP D. Ramesh, who lodged the complaint with the police, said: “During my tenure in the SIB, Praneeth Rao worked as an inspector in the SIB from 2018. Later, he got an accelerated promotion as DSP in 2023.”
“It came to my notice that Praneet Rao, while working in the SIB, unlike other teams, occupied two rooms exclusively for himself and operated with 17 systems issued to him with an exclusive dedicated leased line with internet connection, through which he developed profiles of unknown persons and monitored the same clandestinely, unauthorisedly and illegally.”
“During 2024, the disappearance of records, both physical and electronic from the SIB office came to (my) notice. On enquiry, it came to light that, Praneeth Rao by misusing and abusing his official position, used to always copy intelligence information into his personal drives such as pen drive, external disks which were in his custody, illegally, most likely with the collusion of unknown persons and in order to shield his criminal acts,” Ramesh’s complaint stated.
Praneeth Rao “resorted to erasing of entire information by way of dismantling the systems including external hard disks, by personally supervising the process of destruction unauthorisedly and illegally,” Ramesh said in the complaint.
“On the night of December 4, 2023, during the act of dismantling and destruction of equipment containing data/information, Praneeth Rao turned off the CCTVs and destroyed old hard drives which contained data which was gathered over decades along with the data clandestinely obtained by him… to avoid any suspicion against him, he replaced the old hard drives which were destroyed with new hard drives unauthorised and illegally.”
Based on the complaint, Punjagutta police have registered cases under IPC Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust), 427 (mischief causing damage), 201 (destroying evidence of offence, giving false information to protect the offender), 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) and as well as under the Prevention of Destruction of Public Property Act, 1984, and the Information Technology Act.
Case against cop
SIB additional SP D. Ramesh lodges complaint against suspended DSP Praneeth Kumar alias Praneeth Rao, regarding alleged misuse of power to tap phones of Opposition leaders.
Punjagutta police have registered a case against Praneeth Rao.
Excerpts from the complaint:
Praneeth Rao got an accelerated promotion as DSP in 2023.
Praneeth Rao developed profiles of unknown persons and monitored them clandestinely, unauthorisedly and illegally.
Records, both physical and electronic, disappeared from the SIB office.
Praneeth Rao used to copy intelligence information.
Praneeth Rao erased information by way of dismantling systems and supervising their destruction.
On December 4, 2023, night, Praneeth Rao turned off CCTV cameras, destroyed hard drives which contained data which was gathered over decades, along with the data clandestinely obtained by him.
Praneet also tapped phones of senior cops, honchos: SIB
Complaint of tapping, evidence destruction loged
