Snoopgate: SIT grills key accused, seeks info on BRS’ top netas’ role

Hyderabad: One of the key accused in the sensational phone tapping case Sravan Rao has appeared before the probing agency, SIT (Special Investigation Team). The agency grilled the alleged accused for more than six hours and sought more information on the role of top leaders in the previous BRS government in the phone tapping, mainly the Opposition leaders in the State.

The police said that Sravan Rao went to Jubilee Hills police station where he was questioned by the SIT officials. The SIT had already interrogated Sravan Rao last week. As the accused did not disclose any details in the first interrogation, the agency summoned Sravan for a second time for questioning.

The SIT was suspecting Sravan Rao played a key role in the phone tapping case. While there are six accused in the phone tapping case, five of them are from the police department and Sravan was an outsider. The investigating agency was focusing on the role of Sravan in the phone tapping case in collusion with the police officials. It is understood that Sravan gave the contact list of some people to the police officials. However, the SIT team mainly focused on the issues of who provided these contact numbers and who suggested Sravan give the contact details of political leaders and record their conversations. It is learnt that, before the Assembly elections, the phone numbers of CM Revanth Reddy’s relatives were collected and their phones were also monitored.

Special equipment was also brought for phone tapping, and they set them up as server rooms in various places and the entire phone tapping operation was conducted from there. Sravan Rao, who ran a media house, set up a special server room in the media office. Under the guidance of another accused, Praneeth Rao, the phone tapping equipment was set up in Shravan Rao’s offices.

Officials said that the SIT was also investigating whether Sravan Rao benefited financially from conducting the phone tapping operation and who supported him financially. Sravan was yet to respond to the questions asked by the SIT officials during the interrogation.