NIA files charge sheet against two accused for stealing electronics from aircraft carrier project

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday filed a charge sheet against two people accused of stealing electronic devices from an aircraft carrier project in Kochi, Kerala.

The case pertains to the criminal trespass and theft of critical electronic components including processors, Random Access Memory (RAM) and Solid State Drives, installed aboard the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) that is under construction at the Cochin Ship Yard Limited (CSL), between July and September, 2019.

The case was originally registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code at Ernakulam Town South Police Station, Kochi City on September 16, 2019 based on the complaint of the Deputy General Manager, Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) Project, Cochin Shipyard Ltd.

As the Kerala Police had invoked sections of Information Technology Act in the case as well, NIA then re-registered the case on September 26, 2019 and taken over the investigation from Kerala Police on October 16, 2019.

During investigation it was revealed that Sumit Kumar Singh hailing from Munget in Bihar, and Daya Ram hailing from Hanumangarh in Rajasthan, were behind the crime. They were arrested from their respective locations and they confessed to the crime.

NIA investigations revealed that both the accused were contractual employees for painting work aboard the IAC between February and September 2019. While working aboard the IAC, they had observed the computer systems functioning on the warship that was under construction and conspired, since May, 2019, to commit theft of computer hardware components, for monetary gain.

Between second week of July and first week of September, 2019, the accused trespassed into the locations aboard the IAC, where the critical computer resources were installed, and stole critical computer hardware including Processors, RAMs and SSDs with data, knowing that the same pertains to the security of the Nation.  In September, 2019, the accused had sold one of the stolen Processors for monetary gain, which led to the detection of the theft. After that a case was registered. 

In late-September, 2019, the accused left Ernakulam for their native places, along with the remaining stolen property, that was recovered after their arrest by NIA on June 10.