MEKALA THIRUPATHANNA Vs. STATE OF TELANGANA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Petitioner/accused No.4 has filed this petition under Ss. 480 and 483 r/w 187 (2) of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhitha, 2023 (for short 'BNSS') seeking bail in Crime No.243 of 2024 of P.S. Panjagutta. The offences alleged are under Ss. 166, 409, 427, 201, 120(B) r/w 34 of IPC and Sec. 3 of Public Property (Prevention of Damage) Act, 1985 and Ss. 65, 66, 66(F) (1) (B) (2) and 70 of The Information Technology Act, 2000.

(2.) Heard Sri V.Surender Rao, learned counsel for petitioner/accused No.4 and Sri Palle Nageshwara Rao, learned Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondent-State and perused the record.

(3.) Case of the prosecution is that petitioner/accused No.4 has worked in the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) from December, 2021 to December, 2023 and was in-charge of Urban Front Team in the SIB, being assisted by three Inspectors, one RSI, one ARSI, 5 HCs and 10 Constables. He used to discharge his duties from the first floor of SIB building. It is stated that the SIB is a Specialized Intelligence Agency established exclusively for the purpose of collection of intelligence on the banned CPI (Maoist) party and other affiliated organizations in the State to protect the Society from the dangers of violent activities of the said banned outfit. It is alleged that the petitioner/accused No.4, instead of collecting the intelligence information relating to Maoist activities, he, under the leadership of accused No.1 Sri T.Prabhakar Rao, IPS retired and who was working as Chief of Operations of SIB and also the other accused in the crime, directed his subordinates to collect the information relating to several politicians and common people and also the Judges of this Court for the benefit of the then Ruling BRS Party. The information thus collected by the petitioner/accused No.4 and the other accused in the crime has been used by the then ruling political party during the General Elections of 2023.