FIR on IT firm, directors for threat to delete govt data and extortion

Mumbai: Police have registered an FIR for extortion and criminal conspiracy against Cloudstrats Technologies Pvt Ltd and its three directors on a complaint by Maharashtra Information Technology Corporation Ltd (MahaIT), the state's nodal agency for IT services, alleging contract violations and threats to delete critical govt data.
Jayshree Bhoj, MD of MahaIT, filed the complaint at Marine Drive police station against the company and its directors Piyush Kanti, Parimal Deshpande, and Sudipto Das, said .
In 2018, Maharashtra govt came out with a public cloud policy mandating its departments to shift their data storage onto the cloud, creating a $2 billion opportunity for the industry. Cloudstrats Technologies was awarded approximately 20 work orders and was responsible for handling data related to key govt initiatives, including farmer loan distribution, digital village projects, and smart city programmes. It was contracted to provide cloud hosting services for various govt departments between Jan 2020 and Aug 2024. On Nov 16, 2024, Cloudstrats reportedly shut down services for eight govt departments and blocked access to crucial data.
A dispute arose after the govt found that Cloudstrats Technologies allegedly submitted invoices for services that were not provided. While some payments were made for legitimate services, a disputed amount of nearly Rs 6.9 crore became the centre of controversy. In an email sent by Das, MahaIT was warned that the data would be permanently deleted if outstanding payments were not cleared within a week. A follow-up email on Nov 18, 20-24, reiterated the threat, demanding full payment along with interest.
MahaIT officials tried to negotiate with Cloudstrats Technologies representatives, but the company allegedly refused to reinstate services unless all payments were made immediately, according to the FIR.
In Dec 2024, MahaIT filed multiple petitions in city courts seeking immediate restoration of services and transfer of all data back to state control. Despite court directives, the complaint alleges that Cloudstrats Technologies has not fully resumed services, leading to disruptions in various departments, including finance, agriculture, and disability welfare, the FIR said.
Mumbai: Police have registered an FIR for extortion and criminal conspiracy against Cloudstrats Technologies Pvt Ltd and its three directors on a complaint by Maharashtra Information Technology Corporation Ltd (MahaIT), the state's nodal agency for IT services, alleging contract violations and threats to delete critical govt data.
Jayshree Bhoj, MD of MahaIT, filed the complaint at Marine Drive police station against the company and its directors Piyush Kanti, Parimal Deshpande, and Sudipto Das, said .
In 2018, Maharashtra govt came out with a public cloud policy mandating its departments to shift their data storage onto the cloud, creating a $2 billion opportunity for the industry. Cloudstrats Technologies was awarded approximately 20 work orders and was responsible for handling data related to key govt initiatives, including farmer loan distribution, digital village projects, and smart city programmes. It was contracted to provide cloud hosting services for various govt departments between Jan 2020 and Aug 2024. On Nov 16, 2024, Cloudstrats reportedly shut down services for eight govt departments and blocked access to crucial data.
A dispute arose after the govt found that Cloudstrats Technologies allegedly submitted invoices for services that were not provided. While some payments were made for legitimate services, a disputed amount of nearly Rs 6.9 crore became the centre of controversy. In an email sent by Das, MahaIT was warned that the data would be permanently deleted if outstanding payments were not cleared within a week. A follow-up email on Nov 18, 20-24, reiterated the threat, demanding full payment along with interest.
MahaIT officials tried to negotiate with Cloudstrats Technologies representatives, but the company allegedly refused to reinstate services unless all payments were made immediately, according to the FIR.
In Dec 2024, MahaIT filed multiple petitions in city courts seeking immediate restoration of services and transfer of all data back to state control. Despite court directives, the complaint alleges that Cloudstrats Technologies has not fully resumed services, leading to disruptions in various departments, including finance, agriculture, and disability welfare, the FIR said.