The Congress party has accused Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao led government of throttling democracy and stealing data related to Karnataka elections after Telangana Police raided the office of Sunil Kanugolu, the key poll strategist of TPCC in Hyderabad and arrested three people for posting derogatory comments against Rao and his party.

A team from the Cyber Crime wing of Hyderabad Police on Tuesday night raided the office of Congress party’s poll strategist near Inorbit Mall in Madhapur area in connection with certain derogatory posts aimed at the Chief Minister and his daughter Kalvakuntla Kavitha on the eve of the opening of the party office in New Delhi.

Senior Telangana Congress leaders including Shabbir Ali and Mallu Ravi were detained and put under house arrest as the party gave a call for protests across the state after the raid on its war room by the police. They created a furore alleging that the intention of the ruling party was to steal election data and strategy related to Karnataka elections and the impact of Bharat Jodo Yatra in Telangana and Karnataka.

“They used mufti police to steal the data related to Karnataka elections which KCR and Kumaraswamy are planning to fight together. Five students from IIM and IIT were picked up. They have not shown arrest or produced them before court. We have filed a habeas corpus petition in the High Court,” said PCC chief A Revanth Reddy.

However, police said that it was a legally accepted case. Joint CP Gajarao Bhupal said: “This was no political criticism. This was outright abuse.” He added that using morphed photographs abusive personal content was created which was circulated through WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube through fake identities.”

“There was no name of any political party. The office is registered under only Mindshare United Foundation,” said Bhupal. The police also seized laptops, CPUs and mobile phones.

A total of 5 cases had been registered in various police stations. The three arrested were let off after being served notice under Section 41 CrPC.

“As per their confession, we made Sunil (Kanugolu) an accused. He will be the prime accused. Until yesterday we did not know who is doing this and what they are doing. Now these people have confessed these were being run under his guidance. He is absconding,” said the Joint CP.