Hyderabad: September 03, 2025-The Telangana government is preparing to make another big move. Reports suggest that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s government is planning to hand over the phone tapping case, which created a sensation in the state, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Three Key Cases With CBI
Currently, the CBI is already probing two major cases in Telangana. One is the Kaleshwaram project corruption case, which the state government recommended for a CBI probe. The other is the Manthani lawyer couple murder case, which was handed over to the CBI by order of the Supreme Court. If the phone tapping case is added, three big cases will now be under CBI’s control.
Phone Tapping Scandal
During the previous BRS government, a unit was created in the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) called the *Special Operation Targets*. This team, led by former Additional SP Praneeth Rao and SIB Chief Prabhakar Rao, carried out large-scale phone tapping.
They allegedly gave false information to TRAI, raising security concerns. The phones of governors, central ministers, IAS and IPS officers, and leaders of key political parties were tapped. Even the phones of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s personal assistant, Union Minister Bandi Sanjay, and several BJP office bearers were monitored during the last Assembly elections.
Findings of SIT
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) discovered that these conversations were tapped and recorded. Statements from BJP leaders, including Bandi Sanjay, confirmed the large-scale surveillance. The SIT also found that the appointment of Prabhakar Rao as the authority for phone interceptions violated central rules.
Normally, numbers can be monitored for only seven days without review committee approval. But the team bypassed these rules and tapped phones as they pleased. In just 15 days, about 618 phone numbers, including many political leaders, were tapped.
Why a CBI Probe?
With so many shocking details, the Telangana government now feels that only a CBI probe can reveal the full truth — including how many phones were tapped, who ordered it, and how deep the operation went. If handed over, this will mark the third high-profile case in Telangana under CBI’s investigation.
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