2 brothers use ex-employer’s stolen data in their own firm

Two brothers, residents of Charni Road, have been arrested on charges of stealing data from their employer and later approaching his clients for their own firm, police said.

An officer from D B Marg police station said the accused have been identified as Rahul Shah, 34, and Yash Shah, 32. A search is on for one more brother, Ravi Shah.

The duo used to work with Aesteiron Steels LLP, a company that has an office in Opera House, Charni Road. The company deals in steel pipes, tubes, sheets and plates, round bars, pipe fittings, fasteners and steel wires and has more than 30 employees. The company manufactures and exports various products.

“While working for the company from April 2023 to May 2023, they replaced the hard disks in the company’s computers and stole data from them. They also removed KYC papers, purchase and selling bills, invoices, and other confidential information, which were accessible only to the employees. They thereafter copied various deleted emails from the company records and resigned,” the police officer said.

In July 2023, they set up their own company and started contacting their former employer’s clients, the officer said.

The complainant, Harish Chandan, suspected that while on his payroll they started their own company. They took various files and pen drives home and stole data, he alleged.

“They even defamed their former employer by writing to some of his clients. We registered a case in December 2023. They were arrested on Friday and a court sent them to police custody for four days,” the police officer added.

The brothers have been charged with section 381 (theft by clerk or servant of property in possession of master) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and section 43B (data theft) and 66 (computer related offences) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.