How Task Force ex-DCP Radha Kishan Rao used ‘caste equations’ to fill Intelligence posts

Hyderabad: Former DCP of Hyderabad Task Force P Radha Kishan Rao was recently arrested in the sensational phone tapping case. Rao, who continued to serve as an OSD (Officer on Special Duty) post-retirement, is a key accused in the case.

Charges on him include facilitating the phone tapping through suspended DSP Dugyala Praneeth during their tenure at the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB).

According to the remand copy, in his statement, P Radha Kishan Rao (accused 4) confessed that after the formation of TRS (now BRS) government in 2014, T Prabhakar Rao (A1) was given a post in the Intelligence Department based on caste equations in 2016.

Trusted subordinates given posts

During his time, ‘his trusted subordinates of his community’ and others acquainted with him during his earlier postings were called to various wings of the Intelligence Department. Those handpicked by Prabhakar Rao include police officials such as Praneeth Rao from Nalgonda; Bhujanga Rao from Cyberabad; Venugopal Rao from Cyberabad; and Thirupathanna from the Hyderabad City Police.

Allegedly using caste equations and recommendations of T Prabhakar Rao, Radha Kishan Rao was posted as DCP Task Force in 2017 by BRS supremo and former CM K Chandrashekar Rao to ‘maintain a hold on Hyderabad city for political and other reasons.’

The report alleged that he, along with T Prabhakar Rao, Bhujanga Rao, Venugopal Rao, and Praneeth Rao would meet regularly and discuss the ‘strengthening of BRS ruling party and to see that the BRS regime continue to rule the state.’

Further, on his recommendations, Gattu Mallu, an inspector in the Task Force, West Zone team, worked for about two years up to 2021. Later, on his recommendation, Prabhakar Rao took him into the SIB to accomplish ‘the conspiracy in furtherance of their common goal.’

Communicating through encrypted apps

Further, the report stated that the team decided to communicate with each other on encrypted social media apps such as WhatsApp with ‘a forethought of not to be detected about their clandestine and unauthorised activities using the technology and tools and manpower.’

As per his confession, Radha Kishan Rao stated that after his superannuation in August 2020, he influenced the then BRS government and by using his caste equation, he got appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) and continued as the head of Task Force in the Hyderabad City.

After completion of the said tenure, he again got an extension as the OSD for three more years in a similar manner as his services were required by the then ‘political bosses’ and Prabhakar Rao in SIB to maintain a hold on Hyderabad Police Commissionerate.

Further, Radha Kishan confessed that during his tenure in the Hyderabad Task Force, some of the cases he was involved in – ought not to be done by an OSD Task Force – was on the instructions of T Prabhakar Rao and inputs shared by Praneeth Kumar. The cases he recollected are:

1. On the directions of Prabhakar Rao, during general elections in December 2018, Praneeth Rao shared inputs to Radha Kishan, on which they seized Rs 70 lakhs at Paradise in the limits of Ramgopalpet PS. The money belonged to Anand Prasad of Bhavya Cement company who was contesting candidate from the TDP under Serilingampally Assembly Constituency.

2) During the Dubbaka Assembly bye-election in 2020, Praneeth Kumar shared technical surveillance and identified the target on the field with their field staff. His team seized a cash of Rs 1 crore at Begumpet, which belonged to a chit fund company in Siddipet whose owners are relatives and associates of Raghunandan Rao, the BJP contesting candidate.

3. During Munugodu by-election, in the second week of October 2022, input was shared by Praneeth Kumar, under the directions of Prabhakar Rao. His TF team, headed by inspector T Srinath Reddy intercepted Gunta Sai Kumar Reddy, Kunde Mahesh, D Sandeep Kumar, M Mahender, A Anush Reddy and Vennam Bharath, associates of Komatireddy Raja Gopal Reddy, a BJP contested candidate, and seized cash of about Rs 3.50 crores and handed over the same to the Gandhinagar police.