The Telangana government has withdrawn the promotion of police officer Praneeth Kumar to the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police in connection with the ongoing phone tapping case. The order restored him to his earlier position as Circle Inspector, following fresh scrutiny of his alleged role in unlawful surveillance activities during the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi administration.
Official sources said the decision was taken after authorities reviewed material pointing to Kumar’s involvement in irregular intelligence operations. The promotion was cancelled citing “serious misconduct”, with both departmental and criminal investigations still in progress. Officials noted that the elevation was granted despite concerns already being raised about his conduct at the time.
According to the government order, Kumar allegedly misused a leased line internet connection assigned to the Special Operations Team while he was posted with the Special Intelligence Branch. The connection, which was under his supervision, was reportedly used to carry out sensitive surveillance activities by bypassing established legal procedures and authorisation norms.
The order also flagged allegations that Kumar oversaw the removal and replacement of 42 hard disks from desktop and laptop systems in the Special Operations Team logger room. Investigators believe this was done to erase digital evidence such as Call Detail Records, IMEI data and Internet Protocol Detail Records linked to targeted monitoring. Forensic teams are now attempting to retrieve residual data from servers and related systems to rebuild the digital trail.
The phone tapping case has led to significant political fallout in Telangana, with claims that opposition leaders, businesspersons and journalists were placed under covert surveillance. A Special Investigation Team is examining the alleged network behind the operation and identifying officials involved at multiple levels. Investigators are analysing technical logs, server access records and financial trails to establish how the surveillance was authorised and who issued instructions.
Opposition parties have accused the previous government of misusing institutions and weakening democratic norms, while demanding a court monitored probe. The state government has maintained that the Special Investigation Team is working independently and will take action against anyone found guilty, regardless of rank. Officials said further administrative steps cannot be ruled out as the investigation continues.
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