Blame game starts over Paytm data theft
The plot at One97 Communications, in which three employees were arrested on Monday for allegedly trying to extort founder and Chief Executive Officer Vijay Shekhar Sharma, seems to be getting thicker by the minute. Allegations are flying thick and fast, from harassment, pressure on employees to selling stocks in the firm, to not one but two extortion calls.
But, even 24 hours after the arrest, no one besides Sharma and his core team seems to have any idea what was the nature of the stolen data, which the alleged blackmailers had used as leverage. Sharma’s brother, Ajay Shekhar, also part of the company, said in an interview to a website that the stolen data included the Paytm founder’s personal photographs and financial statements. On Tuesday, Noida District Court denied bail to the three main accused, Sonia Dhawan, Sharma’s personal secretary as well as Paytm’s vicepresident of corporate communications; her husband Rupak Jain; and one Devendra Kumar. They were sent to Kasana Jail in Noida. Paytm did not comment on a detailed questionnaire sent to them. However, fearing loss of customer confidence, the company said user data was safe. “This is a case of personal data theft of Vijay Shekhar Sharma, where three arrests were made yesterday (Monday). Paytm would like to reiterate that all our consumer data is protected with the highest and most-impenetrable levels of security,” Paytm
Dhawan volunteered to track missing data
According to sources close to Dhawan, it all started with a search for Sharma’s missing iPhone. He reportedly lost the phone before a trip to the US in 2016. It is not clear if the stolen data went missing from that phone or a new one he got from one of his aides.
“A month back, Sharma started getting extortion calls. The caller claimed he had mails as well as photographs of a highly personal nature that would compromise Sharma and his company. Sharma confided in Dhawan. She volunteered to help track the phone as well as the data, and set up a team to locate it,” said a source close to Dhawan. Besides her, the team that handles Sharma’s personal expenses and bills might have had access to the phone. A few weeks back, suspicion fell on Dhawan. “She was only trying to help,” said a source.
Extortion call to Rupak Jain
Jain’s lawyers in court said he had got an extortion call on September 22. The caller threatened to harm Jain’s family if Dhawan did not mend her ways. A demand for ~ 50 million was made.
“The extortionist claimed his son would be harmed if they did not cough up the money. A complaint was also submitted to the police,” said his lawyer in court. According to sources, no investigation has been initiated.
Pressure on Dhawan
Dhawan’s lawyers said she was being forced to sell her stock in the company that she had accumulated over the years. Some people close to Sharma were apparently trying to eject her from the company.
Sources said she has been working with One97 Communication for almost a decade and had accumulated over 17,000 shares. The value of this was ~300 million. However, this could not be separately ascertained.
Her lawyers claimed with the valuation of the firm touching almost $1216 billion the company was forcing her to go for a buyback that she did not want to.