Sacked employees steal optical fibre cable, disrupt internet service in Mulund

Police said the accused were among seven employees who had been terminated about six months ago for allegedly creating a ruckus at the company office while in an inebriated state

MUMBAI: Three former employees of an internet service provider have been booked for allegedly cutting and stealing optical fibre cables, disrupting internet connectivity in parts of Mulund (West). The company provides internet services and has laid fibre optic infrastructure to connect customers in Mumbai and its suburbs.

Sacked employees steal optical fibre cable, disrupt internet service in Mulund

The accused have been identified as Karan Udhim, Sagar Katkar and Aman Shaikh, all former employees of Intech Online Private Limited, an internet service provider based in Wagle Estate, Thane. Police said the trio were identified through CCTV footage, which also showed the involvement of four other accomplices.

According to the police, the incident came to light on January 5 after the company noticed a sudden disruption of internet services in several residential pockets of Mulund (West). A subsequent inspection revealed that the optical fibre cables laid by the company had been deliberately cut on Deen Dayal Road. “When the company checked CCTV footage from the area, it was found that the accused, who were former employees, had cut and removed the cables,” a police officer said.

Based on the complaint of the firm’s manager, Abdul Shaikh, 58, the police registered a case against the accused under Section 42 of the Telecommunications Act for allegedly damage to critical telecom infrastructure.

Police said the accused were among seven employees who had been terminated about six months ago for allegedly creating a ruckus at the company office while in an inebriated state.