Bengaluru: Two IT employees held for data theft

Bengaluru: Mahadevapura police have arrested two senior executives of an IT company for allegedly stealing data from the firm and diverting crores of rupees for the company that they had set up.

The accused, Prathap, 32, and Karthik, 35, worked as senior manager and operations manager respectively, in a software development firm located at the Export Promotion Industrial Park Zone. The firm has branches in different countries, the police said.

Abdul Ahad, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Whitefield, said the two were arrested after the company noticed their unauthorised absence and had not returned the company laptops.

A technical team, on suspicion, verified their activities and found that the two had allegedly not only floated an IT company, but were also stealing data and diverting funds illegally.

They had also accessed the company's client list to approach them for business.

According to the police, Prathap and Karthik joined the company in 2012 and 2013, respectively, and were eventually promoted. Making use of their positions, the duo accessed a few crucial operations.

In 2017, they set up an IT firm and allegedly started stealing confidential data, technology, and client database for their company, Captive Med Solutions, while they continued to work in the same place.

They were sent to the U.S. by the company on business trips. During their overseas stays, they allegedly cut business deals for their own company and also diverted funds for it.

From November, 2018 onwards they stopped reporting for work, but they neither submitted their resignation nor returned the company laptops.

Police said when the company checked with its operations team, it found that its intellectual property had been stolen and money diverted. Through its network administrator, the company was able to track Karthik's office laptop and found all the details in it.