VIJAYAWADA: Guntur urban police on Monday denied hampering the investigation being conducted by Telangana police into alleged voter data breach by Hyderabad-based IT Grids.
“A team led by a DSP rank officer went to Hyderabad as they wanted to know the intention behind picking up a person from their jurisdiction without informing the local police,” they said.
Addressing media in Hyderabad on Monday, Cyberabad Commissioner of Police (CP) Sajjanar said a case under Section 448 (trespass) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC was registered against Guntur police officials for allegedly trying to force their way into the residence of data analyst Lokeswara Reddy, who complained about data breach, at KPHB Colony and intimidating him.
Guntur Urban SP Ch Vijaya Rao denied any police personnel from his unit visited Lokeshwar Reddy’s residence. “There is no evidence for what the Cyberabad police accused us of. What is the need for us to approach him (Lokeswara Reddy) and threaten him to withdraw the case when our intention behind visiting Hyderabad was to trace the missing data analyst Regonda Bhaskar,” Vijaya Rao said.
On February 28, CEO of IT Grids India Private Limited, Dakavarapu Ashok, lodged a complaint with Peddakakani police stating that his company employee Bhaskar had gone missing. While investigating the case, police came to know that Bhaskar was in the custody of Telangana police pertaining to a case filed in Madhapur police station.
“Telangana police should have informed local police when they wanted to take a person into their custody. There should be proper communication. Only to trace Bhaskar, a police team led by Guntur West DSP J Kulasekhar went to Hyderabad for probe,” the SP said.
Responding to a query as to why Telangana police denied permission for them to enter into the IT Grids office and what made them to send a team led by a DSP to Hyderabad, the SP said, “Our intention is clear. We just wanted an official confirmation from Telangana police on the whereabouts of Bhaskar. We knew that he was in their custody.
"To close the case filed in our jurisdiction, we requested them to give a letter saying that Bhaskar was in their custody for investigation purpose, which they refused to do. There is no other intention behind our move,” the SP reiterated. Meanwhile, DGP RP Thakur was not available for comment on the issue.
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Sources in the police department said that the missing employee, Regonda Bhaskar, has been working as a senior data analyst in IT Grids India Private Limited for the past six years and has close contacts with Telugu Desam Party leaders. Afraid that Bhaskar might reveal the information to the Telangana police, he allegedly lodged a complaint in Peddakakani and tried to save him from being arrested.