Andhra-Telangana fight over data theft case intensifies

The earlier case was booked at Madhapur police station in Cyberabad based on the complaint by an IT expert belonging to the YSRCP alleging that the ruling Telugu Desam party in Andhra Pradesh was involved in the theft of data of beneficiaries of government schemes through an app, Seva Mitra. The app was developed by the IT Grid company for the Andhra Pradesh government.

The controversy has not only pitted the police of the two states against each other but has also taken a political colour with parties of the two states taking potshots at each other. While the Telugu Desam party has charged YSRCP, Telangana Rashtra Samiti and the BJP with hatching a conspiracy targeting Andhra Pradesh, YSRCP has alleged that the TDP was using the data of citizens to delete the names of hundreds of thousands of voters who were anti-TDP.

Cyberabad police commissioner CV Sajjanar told a press conference on Monday that the investigations so far have established that the company was involved in stealing the private data of citizens.

“We have conducted searches at the company office and seized laptops, computer hard discs and documents. These will be sent to the laboratory for forensic examination. Four employees of the company were also questioned for two days. We have also written to the Election Commission and Aadhar organisation for more information,” he said.

Police had been looking for Ashok Dakavaram, the head of IT Grid. Sajjanar said that the police had identified him as the main accused in the case.

“He has offered to surrender and handover the data in his possession,” the police commissioner said.

Ashok is an IT professional who was reportedly close to the Telugu Desam party. His company IT Grid was based in Hyderabad and was working for the Andhra Pradesh government.

“The company which developed Seva Mitra app has the citizens’ data including Aadhar and voter card details and information related to the benefits they availed under various government schemes,” Sajjanar said.

Responding to the argument by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu that the case was related to his state and should be probed by the state police, Sajjanar said that as the stolen data was found in Hyderabad, the case had to be investigated in the city.

He also charged the Andhra Pradesh police with trying to obstruct investigations by the Cyberbad police and warned that action will be taken against those who come in the way of the probe.

“We are looking into how the sensitive private data of the citizen reached the company and how the company was keeping it in its possession,” he said adding that the police will not spare any suspect however powerful he might be.

Four employees of IT Grid who were detained by police were produced before Telangana High Court on Monday after the company moved a habeas corpus petition in the court. Later the employees were released.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naidu alleged that YSRCP with the help of Telangana police was trying to steal the data his party had gathered over the last two decades.

“Fearing the defeat in the coming elections, YSRCP has become frustrated and desperate and resorting to the cheap tactics,” he said.

In a teleconference with TDP leaders, Naidu alleged that the conspiracy was aimed at deleting the names of the pro-TDP voters.

“Along with Jaganmohan Reddy, K Chandrasekhar Rao and Narendra Modi are also part of this conspiracy to delete 800,000 TDP votes,” he alleged.

He questioned the powers of the Telangana police to probe a case related to Andhra Pradesh.

“Who are you to protect the data of our state? It is our data and we will protect it,” he said.

On the other hand, TRS working president K Taraka Rama Rao rejected Naidu’s allegations that TRS was involved in any conspiracy. “My question is why should Naidu have the private data of the people?” he asked.

KTR claimed that the private organisations conducting election surveys in Andhra Pradesh had reported to him that the TDP was going to lose the coming elections badly.