3 Things Inside the Telangana 'snooping' scandal under the BRS regime
Aug 20, 2025
Nikhila Henry, an investigative journalist with The Indian Express, sheds light on the shocking Telangana snooping scandal. She discusses the alarming revelation that over 600 individuals, including opposition leaders and journalists, had their phones tapped ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections. The conversation dives into the tactics used by the ruling BRS government, exploring the political motivations behind this invasion of privacy. Nikhila also addresses the broader implications for democracy, civil liberties, and accountability in government actions.
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Legal Channels Misused For Illegal Tapping
- Investigators say legal surveillance channels were used but then meddled with to carry out illegal tapping.
- This case is unusually granular compared with past state surveillance revelations and thus significant.
Hard Disks Destroyed Sparked The Probe
- The case surfaced when an SIB official complained about destroyed hard disks linked to illegal intelligence collection.
- The complaint named DSP D. Pranitra and referenced 62 destroyed hard disks as state property.
Names Revealed Through Confessions
- Police narrowed down names of those surveilled through confessions and witness statements from arrested staff.
- Targets included politicians, bureaucrats, journalists and others identified via those confessions.