Dileep Konatham, a prominent Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former Telangana Digital Media Director, has been arrested by Hyderabad Cybercrime police for allegedly spreading misinformation. His arrest follows a series of controversial social media posts criticizing the state government and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, sparking a political firestorm and raising concerns about freedom of speech.
After an arduous election campaign, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy engaged in a leisurely game of football at the Central University in Gachibowli. Sporting an ‘INDIA’ jersey bearing his name, he joined students and a team led by Congress MLC Venkat Balmoori for an hour-long match. Despite being an avid football enthusiast and a former player, Mr. Reddy’s passion for the game is primarily recreational. This jovial interaction also served as an opportunity for him to connect with students on non-political matters and understand their perspectives on the country.
In a dramatic turn of events, Panjagutta police in Hyderabad have charged four police officers involved in a phone-tapping case with cyber terrorism. This is the first time such a charge has been brought against police personnel. The accused, former Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) DSP D Praneeth Rao, ASPs Bhujanga Rao and Tirupathanna, and former DCP (Task Force) Radhakishan Rao, were initially charged with conspiracy for tapping phones of opposition politicians, including now Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, when BRS was in government. They are also accused of maintaining constant surveillance on politicians and other prominent individuals. Now police have sought permission to invoke 66 F of the Information Technology Act, which carries a life sentence and defines cyber terrorism as denying access or introducing contaminants into a system to threaten India’s unity or security.
