IT Grid Scam: Police Produce Four Employees Before Judge

Hyderabad: Following the alleged data breach by a company which provides IT services to Andhra Pradesh's ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Cyberabad police investigating the case, issued a notice on the CEO of IT Grid India Pvt Ltd, Ashok Dakavaram on Sunday. The raid on the IT firm in Madhapur resulted in the Hyderabad police seizing electronic equipment used by the firm. Also, a criminal case of conspiracy, cheating, data theft under the IT Act was lodged for allegedly stealing official data of beneficiaries from the AP government database and using it for manipulation of polls in that state.

The complainant, Thummala Lokeshwar Reddy, who is a Hyderabad based data analyst, filed a data theft case against the company which developed the ‘Seva Mitra’ mobile app through which it was found that the TDP had been getting hold of the voter information.

An employee of IT Grids, Lokeshwar Reddy alleged that company officials have stolen the data of about 3.5 crore people of Andhra Pradesh. He further moved a petition seeking for the employees allegedly picked up during raids conducted on the company's office be produced before the court.

Based on the petition, the Telangana High Court on Sunday directed Telangana Police to produce four employees of the company on Monday. Subsequently, the four IT Grid employees - R Bhaskar, Phani, G Chandrasekhar and Vikram Goud were served notices under Section 160 of the CrPC. All four of them were arrested by the police and the Cyberabad crime police produced them at the residence of a High Court Judge in Kundanbagh.

On the other hand, in another case, Ramreddy of YSRCP Youth Wing filed a complaint at the SR Nagar police station that the information regarding government beneficiaries was stolen by Seva Mitra app. Based on the complaint, the police are investigating the matter.

Also Read: Hyderabad IT Firm Raid Worries Lokesh, Makes TDP Leaders Sleepless