Hyderabad: The data theft carried out by IT Grids India Pvt. Ltd, involving sensitive personal information of lakhs of AP citizens, is of a humongous scale, said Mahesh Jethmalani arguing in the Telangana High Court in Hyderabad. Jethmalani is representing the Telangana state government. He said that the data theft related to personal information of about 7 crore voters including those from Telangana and AP as revealed by raids on Hyderabad-based IT Grids India.

Jethmalani submitted to the court that this sensitive information relating to voters should be with the Election Commission and not anyone else. He wondered as to how IT Grids India could be in possession of this data. Jethmalani also told the Court that the firm also had data which showed voter preferences. He informed the Court that the gravity of the situation could be gauged from the fact that voters' information of 7 crore citizens of both states was with IT Grids.

Jethmalani submitted to the Court that mass scale deletion of voters had taken place through the ruling TDP's app, 'Seva Mitra'. He told the Court that the director of IT Grids Ashok Dakavaram had resorted to criminal acts and did not appear before the Telangana police despite repeated notices and has not yet responded. Jethmalani said that courts should not show any leniency towards such criminals who had no respect for law enforcement agencies.

Ashok Dakavaram had filed a petition in Telangana seeking the quashing of a case registered against him by the Telangana police with respect to data breach of citizens of the two states. Siddharth Luthra appearing for the director of IT Grids appealed to the court to transfer the case to AP, as it involved data breach related to citizens of the state.

Justice Shameem Akhtar adjourned the next hearing in the case to March 27.

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