HYDERABAD: IT Grid India Private Limited Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dakavaram Ashok, who was accused in a data theft case, has appeared before a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for questioning on Thursday.
Cybercrime experts and other members of the SIT, who collected evidence and information regarding the data theft of government beneficiaries of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, grilled Dakaravam on several matters.
Sources said SIT officials have confirmed from Ashok that the said data was used to ascertain the political preferences of voters.
Earlier, based on a complaint, Madhapur and SR Nagar police registered cases data theft. After this, the State government had constituted a Special Investigation Team and transferred the cases to it.
A data activist, T Lokeshwar Reddy, had lodged the complaint, alleging the management of IT Grids had stolen sensitive data of voters from Andhra Pradesh and the Telangana States. This had happened during the run-up to the Lok Sabha and Assembly election (in AP). Ashok and his wife Srilakshmi had gone incognito for several days and did not appear before the SIT and instead approached the High Court for anticipatory bail. The court then granted bails to both of them, with certain conditions.
It directed both of them to execute personal bonds of Rs 25,000 each and furnish surety for the amounts.
How it all began
A data activist, T Lokeshwar Reddy, had filed a complaint with Telangana police that IT Grids Private Limited had stolen sensitive data of voters from the Telugu States. The firm had been employed by the then ruling party in AP, TDP, to develop its in-house application, ‘e-Seva’. This had happened ahead of the LS and Assembly elections in AP.