SIT will investigate data theft with transparency

Hyderabad: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted to probe the data theft case, began its investigation on Thursday after reviewing the inquiry that had been carried out so far. The Cyberabad and Hyderabad Cybercrime police officials submitted their findings and also the list of the material seized during search on the premises of the IT Grids to the SIT.

Addressing the media at DGP Office, SIT chief Stephen Raveendra made it clear that the investigation would be conducted with greater transparency. Every aspect would be probed thoroughly by employing scientific methods. The main accused, D Ashok, would be caught soon wherever he is taking shelter. The SIT team would carry out investigation by submitting to court of law the findings. The culprits would be brought to book, he asserted. 

Elaborating on the status of the investigation, the Cyberabad and Hyderabad police after registering two cases based on the complaints that T Lokeswar Reddy at Madhapur and YSRCP leader G Dasharatha Rami Reddy at SR Nagar filed, gathered some evidence. 

The duo in their complaints alleged that the IT Grids had stolen the personal data of voters, like Aadhaar number, addresses, caste, educational information, the beneficiary status of the government schemes, whether the voters are staying in their constituency or not, to which party they are preferring. 

Stephen Raveendra said based on the complaint the Cyberabad Cybercrime police on February 22 went to the IT Grids Company office at Ayyappa Society in Madhapur and did preliminary inquiry and clarified that no material was seized at that time on that particular day. He said their team would focus on how data had come into the possession of the IT Grids, who had given the data to them, why were they given the data, for what purpose the company was using the data would be thoroughly investigated. 

It was found that the material seized during the investigation showed that the IT Grids company was in possession of sensitive data relating to voters in Telangana State too, apart from Andhra Pradesh, he said. But no complaint has so far been received in this regard from anyone in Telangana State, he said. 
 
Stephen Raveendra said the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) would present a comprehensive report in two or three days. The police, he said, had also seized CCTV footage on February 22 when the cops visited the IT company. It showed that no material was seized from the company on that day. He further said the SIT would probe why some features in the Sevamithra had been disabled and some others modified.