Telangana sets up SIT to probe data theft case

Hyderabad, March 6 (IANS) The Telangana government on Wednesday constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the data theft case involving an IT firm which provides services to Andhra Pradesh's ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

To be headed by Inspector General of Police (West Zone) Stephen Ravindra, the nine-member SIT will take up the case registered against IT Grids for allegedly misusing the sensitive data of the citizens of Andhra Pradesh.

The Home Department, in its order, said that the SIT was constituted since the case requires expertise in investigation of cyber crimes involving various technologies and the probe has to be conducted in different places other than Cyberabad.

A case under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Information Technology Act was registered against the Hyderabad-based firm at Madhapur police station under Cyberabad police commissionerate on March 2.

It came on a complaint by T. Lokeswara Reddy that sensitive data including personal information, Aadhaar, voter ID, electoral rolls, beneficiary details of government schemes were being processed illegally by the company without consent of the citizens.

Cyberabad police were on the lookout for IT Grids CEO D. Ashok, who was being treated as the main suspect in the case.

The police case has sparked a row between the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments. The TDP has alleged that that Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) resorted to theft of TDP data to help the YSR Congress party in view of the coming elections.

However, TRS Working President K. T. Rama Rao said Chief Minister and TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and his son and IT Minister Nara Lokesh had become jittery as they were caught red-handed while stealing confidential data to further the poll prospects of their party.