A former cop arrested in the Telangana phone tapping case has been booked for kidnapping and extortion after the founder of a healthcare firm claimed that his business partners conspired with the cop to orchestrate a hostile takeover.
Officers, who served in Telangana’s Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) are facing action over allegations of snooping on rivals and critics of the former Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) government when it was in power in Telangana.
According to an Indian Express report, the fresh case against former DCP (Task Force, Hyderabad City) P Radhakishan Rao was registered at Hyderabad’s Jubilee Hills police station after the founder of a healthcare firm alleged that he was kidnapped and extorted of Rs 50 lakh at Rao’s behest.
He claimed that in November 2018, he was allegedly abducted by the Circle Inspector of Task Force (West Zone, Hyderabad City Police) and taken to Rao’s office, where he asserted he was threatened and coerced into transferring the shares in his company – valued at over Rs 100 crore – to his four partners, the Indian Express reported.
After learning of Rao’s arrest in an alleged phone tapping case through the news, he stated that he felt emboldened to approach the police.
According to his complaint quoted by the Indian Express, he established the company in 2011, which operates in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh with over 160 centers, providing basic healthcare facilities and ambulances.
In early 2018, he mentioned that a state government had invited tenders to manage emergency medical vehicles and ambulances, and his firm was on the verge of securing the contract for 1,500 vehicles due to its competitive operating cost. However, he alleged that his partners turned against him because the cost was too low, demanding ownership of the company.
In October 2018, he lodged two complaints at the Jubilee Hills police station accusing his partners of making threatening calls and intimidation. However, the police did not take action, attributing the issue to a dispute over share transfers among partners.
Subsequently, a case has been registered against Rao, the circle inspector, a sub-inspector, and his four business partners under Sections 386 (extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt), 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), and 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy), alongside Section 34 (common intention and joint criminal liability).
Meanwhile, the Nampally criminal court has extended Rao’s police custody until April 12.
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