Telangana SIT probe into data theft gathers pace

The probe into the data theft case against IT Grids, a firm providing IT services to Andhra Pradesh's ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), has gathered pace, said a top officer Saturday.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has stepped up the probe, said Inspector General of Police Stephen Ravindra, haeding the SIT, after more searches and scene reconstruction at the company's office in Madhapur here.

SIT along with clues team, scientific and technical advisors and experts visited the IT Grids office. "As part of the investigation, today we are reconstructing the scene here," the official told reporters at the firm's office.

He said the investigations were being conducted from all angles. He said devices and other material seized so far were sent to Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for analysis and the same would be submitted to the court.

The SIT was awaiting a reply from Amazon and Google about the data being used by IT Grids.

On quash petition filed by IT Grids CEO D. Ashok in Telangana High Court, Stephen Ravindra said they would counter the petition.

Cyberabad police had booked a case against IT Grids on March 2 on a complaint by T. Lokeswara Reddy that sensitive data including personal information of citizens of Andhra Pradesh was being processed illegally by the company without consent of the citizens. The data was allegedly used by the company for an app developed by it for TDP cadres.

Telangana government on Wednesday constituted nine-member SIT for thorough investigations into the case.

SIT was on the lookout for D. Ashok to interrogate and find out how he had access to data from government database. SIT chief said data of Telangana citizens was also found with the company.

The police case and subsequent developments have triggered a huge row between the Telugu states with Andhra Pradesh alleging that TDP's data was stolen under a conspiracy by Telangana's ruling party Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and YSR Congress party.

In a tit-for-tat, Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday set up an SIT to probe data theft case against Telangana.

--IANS

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