Date:03/02/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/02/03/stories/2006020306350300.htm

Tamil Nadu

Two held for `hacking' information of firm

Staff Reporter

They allegedly used it to float a new company

CHENNAI: The Cyber Crime wing of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) police has arrested two persons on charges of `hacking' confidential information of a private company.

Police identified the arrested as N. Baskaran (35) of T.Nagar and A. Kumaran (57) of Padi. Both were working in Greaves Cotton Company in Thorappakkam. One of them had quit the job in 2004 and the other last year.

Police said that while leaving the premises, Baskaran allegedly copied the company's confidential information such as vendors list, bills of materials, cost of the components, design and specification of products, dealers and the annual sales of the company. The copied information was then sent to his personal e-mail.

Using this information, Baskaran and his associates allegedly floated a new company in Ambattur Industrial Estate where they started manufacturing the petro-kerosene engine similar to Greaves Cotton's engines.

Then tried to sell their product to one of Greaves Cotton's dealers at a lower price. N. Rajeswara Rao, Deputy General Manager, Accounts, Greaves Cotton Company, filed a complaint with R. Nataraj, the Greater Chennai Police Commissioner last week. The CCB police arrested both Baskaran and Kumaran. Two of their associates, Varadharajan and Salauddin were said to be at large.