Hyderabad woman gets 1-year jail for stealing company data
Hyderabad: The XII Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, G Anusha, has convicted Anasuya Vemuri, a former employee of SIS Info Tech Pvt. Ltd., for criminal breach of trust and data theft. The conviction was delivered under Section 408 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 66-B and 43 read with 66 of the Information Technology Act.
Anasuya Vemuri, 35, a resident of New Nallakunta, Hyderabad, was sentenced to one year of simple imprisonment and fined ₹25,000. The court found her guilty of misusing access to confidential company data after leaving the organization.
According to the complaint filed by Arcot K. Balakrishna, Chief Manager of SIS Info Tech Pvt. Ltd., Anasuya Vemuri was employed with the company from March 1994 to October 2005 as Chief Manager, Editorial Services. Despite her resignation, she retained unauthorized access to the company’s main servers and confidential data, including intellectual property and trade secrets.
The complaint was lodged with the Cyber Crime Station (CCS), Detective Department, Hyderabad, on January 21, 2009. A case was registered by Sub-Inspector Sharfuddin under Sections 408 and 420 of the IPC and Sections 66-B, 43 read with 66, and 65 of the IT Act. After investigation, Additional DCP M. Srinivasulu filed the charge sheet.
The court concluded that Anasuya Vemuri had exploited the proprietary data to establish a competing business using identical content. The prosecution presented consistent and credible testimony from key witnesses, including the complainant, company employees, and investigating officers.
While convicting Anasuya Vemuri under Section 408 IPC and Sections 66-B and 43 r/w 66 of the IT Act, the court acquitted her of charges under Section 420 IPC and Sections 65 and 72 of the IT Act due to lack of sufficient evidence. Two other accused in the case were also acquitted of all charges.
