IT Grids India Pvt Ltd: No relief to Dakavaram Ashok, arrest stay denied

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Monday refused to stay the arrest of D. Ashok, director of IT Grids (India) Private Ltd, who was booked for alleged data breach and directed him to respond to first respond to the police notice.

Justice Shameem Akther was dealing the two quash petitions filed by Mr Ashok urging the court to direct the Telangana state police not to arrest him in the cases lodged against him related to the alleged breach of data of AP voters.

He sought a direction to quash the FIRs or transfer the cases to an appropriate authority of the AP police.

Supreme Court senior counsel Siddharth Luthra presented the case details before the court on behalf of Mr Ashok and sought a stay on further proceedings including the arrest of the petitioner. The court refused and said it would not be possible to pass directions without hearing the other side.

Public prosecutor P. Prathap Reddy said Mr Ashok was not responding to the showcause notice served by the police and was evading arrest. When he was not responding to the notice, the aspect of staying his arrest did not arise, Mr Reddy said. He assured the judge that if Mr Ashok responded to the notice, he would not be arrested.

When Mr Luthra asked that the submission of Mr Reddy that the police would not arrest Mr Ashok be recorded, the court asked why he was so anxious. “Is it not enough that the PP is saying they (police) won’t arrest him if he responds to the notice,” Justice Akther said.

Directing Mr Ashok to respond to the notice served by the police, the court adjourned the cases and asked both sides to get ready for their arguments on March 20.