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Espionage by ADAG Group
Added: (Wed Feb 14 2007)
Here is a shocking story about the multi-billion dollar Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group run Reliance Communications group getting embroiled in international espionage and risk the security concerns of our country.
An official attached to Tata group company Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited in Mumbai has claimed that he was paid off by an executive of Reliance Communications for passing on some sensitive business information.
Prashant Ganpat Indulkar who was arrested for embezzlement in the first week of February, said in a statement before a local court that he was paid Rs 40,000 by Reliance Communications executive one Gaurav Wahi , who in turn has denied his role or involvement , Mumbai Police have said.
Meanwhile, Indulkar had been remanded to police custody till mid February and criminal action against him is likely to follow. The police have said that further interrogation of Indulkar is a must as the receiver of the information passed on by him has to be traced. They did not rule out the involvement of more persons in the case.
Indulkar has been working as personal secretary to VSNL Managing Director N Srinath for the last three years and had vital access to the latter’s confidential and relevant personal documents, the police have said in the remand application filed before a local court in Mumbai.
Wahi was called in for questioning by the police on or around 8 February and had denied all allegations leveled against him in toto, according to the police. Indulkar was first arrested by Mumbai police on 1 February, following a complaint of siphoning off Rs 8.7 lakhs, filed against him by theVigilanceDepartment.
Later, Company Secretary and chief legal officer of VSNL, Gopal Ranade also filed a complaint, which led to Indulkar being booked under Section 66 of the IT Act 2000.
It may be recalled that both VSNL and Reliance Communications have crossed swords on numerous issues recently and lately, ADAG has dragged VSNL in arbitration on the matter of adding new band width capacity by FLAG Telecom, which is an Anil Ambani stable company.
These reports were based on highest confidential documents which are in the possession of only certain officers. VSNL officers have said such leakage can cause huge damage o the company, police officers have claimed.
Police has claimed that they have seized the CPU of Indulkar’s computer in his office and residence and sent some pen drives recovered from him to forensic labs. They are also in touch with various portals like Yahoo, Hotmail and Rediff, where Indulkar has his personal e-mail account.
What hurts is that the Anil Ambani groups, which once prided itself about being the champion of corporate governance has become akin to champions of espionage. ADAG.
by allowing such passage of sensitive information, have caused serious security implications as they are contesting with VSNL to carry the country’s critical data , both for the government sector and private sector.
By getting caught directly in dissemination of sensitive information and data into wrong hands, ADAG jeopardizes chances of getting $ 400 million that it is seeking from VSNL.
Observers and experts have raised a critical question whether a company or group like
ADAG could be entrusted with the country’s vital telecom networks and data that moves through it.
Who will give a satisfactory and reliable answer to this question?