Phone tapping case: Telangana strips suspended police officer Dugyala Praneeth Rao of his DSP rank

Hyderabad: Telangana government has stripped suspended police officer Dugyala Praneeth Rao of his DSP rank for misusing his official position during his probation period after promotion.

With this decision, the accelerated promotion granted to him earlier stands withdrawn, and he will now continue only as an Inspector.

Promotion cancelled for misconduct during probation

According to official orders issued by Home Department Principal Secretary C.V. Anand, the government found that Praneeth Rao violated service conduct rules soon after being promoted as Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) under the accelerated promotion scheme.

Since the misconduct occurred during his probationary period, the government decided to annul the promotion.

Accelerated promotion under cloud

The accelerated promotion scheme in Telangana is typically reserved for police officers who demonstrate exceptional performance in combating extremism or terrorism.

However, Praneeth Rao’s elevation to the DSP rank, despite not being involved in such operations, had triggered controversy at the time.

Belonging to the 2007 SI batch, which had nearly 300 officers, Praneeth Rao was the only officer to receive accelerated promotion to DSP, drawing sharp criticism. Allegations surfaced then that the promotion was linked to his role in illegal phone tapping.

Role in Intelligence wing and SIT findings

While serving as a Sub-Inspector, Praneeth Rao was transferred to the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) on October 24, 2016, where he worked until December 13, 2023.

During his tenure in the SIB, he was promoted first as Inspector and later as DSP through the accelerated route. He also played a key role in setting up the Special Operations Team (SOT) within the SIB.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the phone-tapping case revealed that on December 4, 2023, a day after the Assembly election results were announced, CCTV cameras at the SIB office were deliberately switched off.

It was further found that 42 hard disks containing sensitive data from laptops and computers in the SOT log room were destroyed. The SIT concluded that Praneeth Rao played a crucial role in the destruction of evidence.

Suspension, Arrest, and Criminal Case

The SIT noted that these actions amounted to a violation of Rule 3 of the Telangana Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964.

Acting on the recommendation of the then DIG of SIB, the Intelligence Department proposed disciplinary action. Accordingly, Praneeth Rao was suspended on March 2, 2024.

A criminal case was subsequently registered against him at Panjagutta Police Station on March 10. He was arrested on March 12 and remanded to judicial custody.

DGP’s report leads to the final decision

Following these developments, the Director General of Police (DGP) submitted a detailed report to the government, recommending the cancellation of Praneeth Rao’s promotion.

The report stated that although he received an accelerated promotion as DSP on March 31, 2023, he committed serious misconduct within a year, well within the probation period, thereby violating service rules.

Acting on this report, the state government formally revoked Dugyala Praneeth Rao’s DSP rank, marking a significant administrative action in the ongoing phone-tapping scandal.