9 months later, how NIA cracked the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier theft case

New Delhi, Sep 05: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against two persons in connection with the theft of computer devices from the under-construction Indigenous Aircraft Carrier.

The chargesheet was filed against Sumit Kumar Singh and Daya Ram, residents of Bihar and Rajasthan respectively.

The case pertains to the criminal trespass and theft of critical electronic components including processors, random access memory and solid state drives, installed aboard the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) under construction at the Cochin Ship Yard Limited (CSL), between July and September, 2019.

The investigation into this case spread across several states. After a thorough probe that lasted nine months, the NIA zeroed in on the two accused persons. They were arrested and following sustained investigation, they confessed to their crime.

The accused were engaged as contract 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 under construction and conspired, since May, 2019, to commit theft of computer hardware components, for monetary gain.

They then trespassed into the locations aboard the IAC, where the critical computer resources were installed and committed theft of the critical computer hardware including processors, RAMs and SSDs with data, knowing that the same pertains to the security of the nation and hence is restricted.

In September 2019, the accused had sold one stolen processor. They then left Kerala for their native places along with the stolen devices. The stolen devices which was in their possession was however recovered by the NIA.