Phone tapping case: Telangana HC issues notice to state on Praneeth Rao’s bail plea

Hyderabad: Telangana High Court has issued notice to state in a bail petition filed by phone tapping accused and former deputy superintendent of police Dugyala Praneeth Kumar alias Praneeth Rao.

The petitioner sought a direction to set aside the orders of the XIV Additional Metropolitan Magistrate, Hyderabad, and release him on bail.

After hearing the matter, Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy issued notices to the Principal Secretary, Home; Hyderabad Police Commissioner; DCP West Zone; ACP Panjagutta; SHO Panjagutta; and the Investigating Officer (IO), Police Station, Panjagutta and directed them to respond by December 23.

Uma Maheshwar Rao, senior counsel appearing for the petitioner informed the court that despite filing the chargesheet in the trial court, the IO says that the investigation is incomplete and needs more time.

Once the chargesheet is filed, the Investigating Officer must be confident about the case. In this case, it is not so. The counsel averred before the court that the petitioner was entitled to bail.

GP for Home Mahesh Raje said that in the phone tapping case, the prime accused T. Prabhakar Rao, former SIB Chief, and Aruvela Shravan Kumar Rao, TV reporter, are absconding.

Police have investigated the case and arrested 4 other accused. The chargesheet has also been filed in the court.

Once, the chargesheet is filed, the accused is not entitled to any relief, though the IO has not filed all the documents since more investigation needs to be done. It does not vitiate the case or investigation, GP for Home said.

The GP informed the court that the case of the accused including Radhakishen Rao, N. Bhujanga Rao, and Sravan Kumar cases is pending adjudication.

Moreover, the Chief Justice bench has also taken suo motu notice of the phone tapping case as one of the judge’s phones and his family members' phones were also tapped.

Pertinently, baring. T. Prabhakar Rao, IPS (Retd), all the other accused in the case including Mekala Tirupathanna; Nayini Bhujanga Rao, Addl.SP; P.Radha Kishan Rao, DCP (Retd); and Aruvela Shravan Kumar Rao TV reporter have filed the criminal petitions /writ petition in the High Court for bail.

The criminal petition filed by Mekala Tirupathanna was dismissed by the High Court. The order has been challenged in the Supreme Court. On November 27, the apex court directed the state government to file a counter affidavit on this issue within two weeks.

The High Court has extended the interim bail of Mr. N. Bhujanga Rao. The criminal petitions filed by P. Radha Kishan Rao, DCP (Retd), and Aruvela Shravan Kumar Rao TV reporter are reserved for orders.

The petitioner Dugyala Praneeth Rao, DSP is seeking a direction to call for the records. He has prayed for setting aside the orders of the magistrate and release him on bail.

The petitioner seeks bail on the ground that the investigating team has filed the final report without completing the investigation as mandated under Section 173(2) CrPC. He said the investigating team is impeding the mandatory bail under Section 167(2) of the Cr.P.C., which is a gross violation of the fundamental right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

The petitioner said he was remanded to judicial custody on March 13,.2024, and completed 90 days in judicial custody as of June 11, 2024. He said he was eligible to be released u/s 167 (2) if the chargesheet was not filed before the court on or before the 90 days.