At least 25 police officers were assembled to form a specialized team to track the movements and activities of Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy during his tenure as an opposition leader under the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) regime. This surveillance effort was reportedly initiated in response to Revanth's direct and personal attacks on the BRS leadership, including the then Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, as disclosed by sources to TOI.
Handpicked by intelligence chiefs, the selected officers were described as the "most trusted and efficient" individuals who were tasked with a variety of responsibilities. These tasks included monitoring Revanth's Banjara Hills residence, tapping his phone calls, identifying and tracking individuals who financially supported him, especially during elections, and observing his political activities closely. The surveillance team within the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) remained active until the declaration of assembly election results in December 2023, with Revanth being the primary target due to his aggressive stance against KCR, his family members, and associates.
While other opposition figures also faced scrutiny, Revanth's monitoring intensified after he was appointed as the Telangana Pradesh Congress working president following his affiliation with the Congress. Additionally, former BRS minister and current BJP leader Eatala Rajender came under surveillance after his fallout with KCR in 2021. The decision to initiate the surveillance operation raised questions about whether it was independently conceived within the SIB or if it came from political authorities. Despite ongoing investigations into the phone-tapping case, no recorded conversations have been uncovered thus far. However, former SIB deputy superintendent of police, D Praneeth Rao, allegedly erased stored data and destroyed electronic devices, leading to his arrest in connection with the case.