Techie stole company IP, sold it to rival

Bengaluru: A techie working in the Bengaluru facility of  US-based Cadence Design Systems, was arrested by H.S.R. Layout police for allegedly stealing data worth Rs 90 crore from his workplace.

The company, located in Bellandur, has accused him of stealing software and other data from the company’s server, copying it on to his laptop and other external devices and then joining a rival company. He sold  all the data to the other company.

Sayantan Pal (36) had been working at Cadence for nearly a year, where he was recruited as a senior consultant in  February 2013. At Rs 31 lakh a year and a joining bonus of Rs 4 lakh, Pal was not only a highly paid executive, but also one with access to confidential data.

In the company’s complaint to the police, Cadence officials alleged that Sayantan Pal had on January 24 this year copied highly confidential data, worth some Rs 90 crore, from the company’s server to his laptop and other external devices. He then submitted his resignation on January 27.

It all came to light when the firm conducted an audit after Sayantan Pal had left and joined a rival organisation. The audit found that the accused had copied data and had breached the policies of the company. It  lodged a  complaint with H.S.R Layout police.

The data, according to the company, consists of custom analog tools that help engineers design