Corporate espionage: Files were leaked before reaching PM, claim cops

TNN

New Delhi, 23 Feb 2015: The thousands of documents seized by the crime branch from corporate spies, consultants and agents reveal that almost everything the government was planning or deciding on was being copied and leaked to interested parties.

 

Experts studying the documents said they had come across many papers deemed highly classified. Some of these had not yet reached the Prime Minister’s table or Parliament.

 

"There are hundreds of documents in front of us which are highly classified and have signatures of senior officers — under-secretaries, joint secretaries, secretaries and even ministers or committees formed by Parliament. It seems private companies knew everything about these proposals, right from daily communications of the government and meeting details to legal papers and even audit reports," said a source.

 

Documents studied so far by investigators include a CAG report on hydrocarbon production, cabinet note on open licensing policy for oil companies, notes on approvals by cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA), reports of public accounts committee (PAC), file notings and documents related to coal block auctions, government decisions on several national and international projects, correspondence between the minister and his officials, and even communiques of investigating agencies and autonomous bodies.

 

Individual project documents recovered from the accused persons include a feasibility report of setting up an oil refinery near Tiruvannamalai (Tamil Nadu), a report on natural gas production, maps of an under-consideration gas pipeline project from Ahmedabad to Surat, and several others.

 

A senior officer said the documents found in the hands of private persons may have compromised national security and the future of several projects. The crime branch had said in court, "National interest was taken for a ride in the case. Documents relating to national security have also been recovered. This might attract charges under the Official Secrets Act."

 

Crime Branch officials claim they have several jute bags filled with documents recovered from Asharam, his sons Rakesh Kumar and Lalta Prasad, Ishwar Singh, Raj Kumar Chaubey, former newspaper reporter Santanu Saikia, energy consultant Prayas Jain and five executives of private energy majors.

 

These five executives — Shailesh Saxena, manager (corporate affairs) Reliance Industries Limited; Vinay Kumar, DGM at Essar; K K Naik, Cairns India GM; senior Jubilant Energy executive Subhash Chandra and Rishi Anand, DGM, Reliance ADAG — are still being questioned by Crime Branch officers.

 

Investigators have also recovered about five computers and laptops, hard disks and other electronic devices in which they claim are thousands of documents. These are being opened and analysed with the help of experts.

 

Sources say sleuths are examining the official and personal email accounts of the arrested persons to find out more about documents scanned and sent to senior executives in private companies.