New Delhi, Jan 27 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Mekala Thirupathanna, a suspended police officer in connection with the phone-tapping case.
Thirupathanna was accused of phone-tapping bureaucrats and High Court judges, after spending 10 months in incarceration.
A bench comprising Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma granted the bail, directing the trial court to impose appropriate bail conditions.
The court emphasized that any breach of these conditions could result in the cancellation of the bail.
The Special Leave Petition (SLP) was filed against the Telangana High Court’s October order denying him bail.
The Telangana High Court had initiated suo motu proceedings last year into allegations of illegal phone tapping conducted during the tenure of the BRS Government.
The court had taken up the matter, citing concerns of “national security” and infringement of the right to privacy.
During Monday’s hearing, Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing the State of Telangana, opposed the bail plea, arguing that releasing the officer could prejudice the trial as key witnesses were yet to be examined.
On the other hand, Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave, appearing for Mekala, highlighted that the chargesheet had already been filed, asserting that further incarceration would defeat the purpose of Section 167 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Luthra countered by stating that although a chargesheet had been filed, additional custody was necessary for ongoing investigations, particularly to retrieve destroyed data sought from Google. He requested three more months to complete the investigation and examine four crucial witnesses.
However, Justice Sharma questioned the prolonged custody, stating, “He has worked for you for 59 years. Not a single allegation against him, and what is the purpose of keeping him in jail?” The bench expressed its disinclination to extend the officer’s detention further.
Although Luthra urged the court to include a provision preventing the bail order from benefiting co-accused individuals, the bench refrained from adding such a restriction.
The case gained national attention after a Deccan Chronicle article in December 2023 reported that High Court judges, apart from rival politicians, were targets of the phone-tapping operation.
A special bench of the Telangana High Court, led by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Vinod Kumar, took up the matter, underscoring the grave implications for national security.
The allegations surfaced shortly after the Congress party’s electoral victory in Telangana.
