Sales head of private firm booked for leaking sensitive details to rivals

According to the police, an FIR was registered based on a complaint lodged by Vipan Mankatwala, vice-president of Swati Energy and Projects Private Limited. Police officials said that Mulraj Chheda owns the company

Mumbai: A 53-year-old sales head of a power plant equipment supplier company has been booked for allegedly leaking sensitive details to his company’s rivals. The accused – identified as Bhavesh Bhatt – has worked with the company for 23 years.

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According to the police, an FIR was registered based on a complaint lodged by Vipan Mankatwala, vice-president of Swati Energy and Projects Private Limited. Police officials said that Mulraj Chheda owns the company.

Bhatt’s role was primarily to prepare tender documents and submit bids on behalf of the company for supplying the company’s products, gather customers’ requirements and accordingly supply material from the company to the clients, said a police officer from Tilak Nagar police station.

“He was given an iPhone and a laptop for the same. In February, he resigned from the company and was to serve a notice period of three months. When the company took back the phone and laptop, they found he had shared crucial information about the company via WhatsApp, like tender details and company’s quotes, with some rival players and was doing this for quite some time. He has also deleted some emails,” said the officer.

“This way, by sharing crucial information, the rival companies have benefitted, and thus, Bhatt has cheated Swati Energy and Projects Private Limited,” added the officer.

Bhatt was booked for criminal breach of trust by a clerk or servant, cheating of the Indian Penal Code and for failure to protect data and for identity theft under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

The police said they are still at the preliminary stage of the investigation and will decide on further action after verifying the facts.