The city-based IT firm, accused of theft of data of voters in Andhra Pradesh through a mobile app, got 'illegal' access to personal and sensitive information of individuals related to Aadhaar and government schemes among others, Cyberabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar said Monday.
Quoting findings of preliminary investigations, he also said the information can be misused for illegal purposes and police have issued a notice to the Amazon Web Services, with which the database was said to have been stored, asking for the data.
The police will also write to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which runs Aadhar, the Election Commission, the Registrar of Companies and the the Andhra Pradesh government seeking related details, he told reporters here.
In a related development, one more case was registered against owner of the firm and others by Hyderabad Police and investigations were on, police said.
On Saturday, the Cyberabad police had registered a case against the company and carried out searches at its office here based on a complaint by a data analyst alleging stealing of data of Andhra Pradesh voters through the 'Seva Mitra' mobile app used by the ruling Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh (for registered cadre).
The complainant had claimed that while browsing the website and official Facebook page of TDP, he had found the TDP cadre were using certain mobile phone and tab-based software applications especially'Seva Mitra' app for "advancing partys electoral prospects".
Andhra Pradesh Information Technology Minister N Lokesh, reacting to the search on the company, in a tweet had alleged that the Telangana police was harassing the IT firms that have been hired to curate information whose complete rights were held by the TDP.
Prima-facie, the investigation has revealed" that the company got access of personal information and sensitive data of individuals related to Aadhaar, electoral roll, government schemes and voters information of various political parties "which can be misused for illegal purposes like alleged deletion of voters," the police commissioner said.
"It is reliably learnt that about 45-50 criminal cases have been registered in various places of Andhra Pradesh about deletion of voters, he added.
He said the police would seek information from the AP government on various aspects, including the MoU with the IT firm and the custodian of the data.
When asked if the police will question Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh, the Commissioner said police will not spare anybody who was responsible for this act.
Based on further investigations whoever it is they will be called...e will not leave anybody who is found involved... law will take its own course, Sajjanar said.
He said the case had been registered against the company for alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating, theft among others.
Police carried out searches at the company's office on Saturday and Sunday by securing the presence of four employees, the Commissioner said adding electronic gadgets, including central processing units (CPUs) and hard discs were seized.
We also seized mobile phones and written documents. Database is said to be have been stored with the Amazon Web Services... As part of the investigations we have issued a notice to Amazon Web services for production of data base relating to application, Sajjanar said.
The "incriminating materials" seized were being sent to Forensic analysis for detailed analysis and arrests would be made as per law, he added.
Through the 'Seva Mitra' app, data had been collected constituency-wise and voters' affiliation to political parties, the Commissioner said.
The application also has the information of voter ID details, caste details and address of the voter, he said. The company also has got the access to the beneficiaries data of the government related to Andhra Pradesh people and the information was being used to make a profile of voters and use it for various political purposes, he alleged.
The commissioner also said another case had been registered in connection with an allegation by the complainant that some plainclothes police personnel from Andhra Pradesh had barged into his house here and threatened him.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)