Hyderabad: Telangana director general of police (DGP) CV Anand said that the investigation into the phone-tapping case has almost come to an end and that a second chargesheet will be filed soon. After taking charge as the DGP on Friday, Anand also announced that a new Traffic Management and Road Safety Bureau will be created to reduce road accident fatalities.Responding to a question about the status of the phone-tapping case, Anand said that the investigation would conclude shortly. “It appears that the investigation is almost over. I will review the status of the case and ensure that a second chargesheet is filed soon,” he said.In June 2024, the police filed the first chargesheet against six accused, including former SIB chief Prabhakar Rao; deputy SP D Praneeth Rao; additional superintendents N Bhujanga Rao and M Thirupathanna; former task force DCP P Radha Kishan Rao; and A Shravan Kumar, managing director of a media channel.Subsequently, investigators issued notices and recorded statements from those whose phones were tapped. BRS top leaders, including former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, former ministers Harish Rao and KTR, and Prabhakar Rao, who had returned from the USA, were all questioned.The DGP also said that road safety and traffic management were among his top priorities. To reduce road accident fatalities, a new bureau with statewide jurisdiction would soon be created, on the lines of the TG Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) and the Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE).‘Will ensure uniform enforcement’Highlighting the scale of the challenge, Anand said that around 7,500 people die in road accidents in the state every year. He also pointed to the rapid rise in vehicle numbers, noting that about 1,600 new vehicles are added to the roads every day in the four city commissionerates, while road infrastructure is not expanding at the same pace. He observed that enforcement of traffic rules remains uneven, with stricter implementation of helmet and seat belt rules in Hyderabad than in other parts of the state. The new bureau, he said, would ensure uniform enforcement and keep footpaths and carriageways free from encroachments by hawkers.On women’s safety and child trafficking, the DGP said that trafficking had emerged as an organised crime requiring closer scrutiny. He added that the police would intensify their focus on trafficking gangs as well as other offences such as gambling, food adulteration, and smuggling.The DGP also called on officers to act swiftly on field intelligence to prevent situations from escalating. He said that Artificial Intelligence (AI) would be used in traffic management, while the use of drones would be explored for traffic regulation and disaster management.‘Redeployment of personnel’Anand said that the police force would be reorganised by shifting personnel from low-workload units to departments facing shortages. He added that anti-Naxal units such as Greyhounds and the Special Intelligence Bureau could see redeployment, as Maoist activity has sharply declined following surrenders and encounters. He noted that the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Vigilance and Enforcement Department, and the CID require additional manpower. Telangana police currently have about 19,000 vacancies, he said.He also stated that only 32% of the state’s six lakh CCTV cameras are functional. Restoring them has been made a priority, as CCTV footage has become crucial in solving crimes. He added that cordon-and-search operations would be conducted whenever necessary. While appealing to the small number of Maoists yet to surrender to join the mainstream, Anand said that rehabilitation and monitoring of surrendered Maoists would continue to ensure that such activity does not re-emerge.He further said that district superintendents of police and their teams must work closely with specialised units such as the TGCSB and EAGLE to strengthen the state’s response to cyber offences and the drug menace. These specialised agencies, which operate a limited number of police stations directly under them across the state, would require stronger coordination with district police to deliver meaningful results.
