Computer science dropout held in Rajasthan for Jio data breach

A 35-year-old computer science dropout from Rajasthan has been arrested for his alleged involvement in a case of leak of customer data from India's newest telecom entrant -- Reliance Jio.

The accused has been identified by his nickname ‘Imran Chippa’ and was arrested from Churu district in Rajasthan.

A resident of Sujangarh town, Chhipa had made the website Magicapk. He claimed to provide Jio user data through his website, the police said.

However, Jio has said that the claims of the website were "unverified" and "unsubstantiated".

After the police complaint lodged in Mumbai, the police reached Churu after tracking his IP address and took Chhipa into custody on Tuesday night.

"Chhipa has been arrested in the data leak case," additional SP, Yogendra Kumar Faujdar, told PTI in Jaipur.

Following the data leak, the domain of the website has been suspended.

"We have seized the computer and other devices used by him to leak the data and he will be thoroughly interrogated. A team of Mumbai police led by ACP Deepak Dhole had reached Churu district after tracking the IP address and will interrogate Chhipa," the police said.

An analysis by the Maharashtra cyber police headed by Inspector General of Police Brijesh Singh led investigators to zero in on the location from where the suspected data breach had happened, he said.

The suspect’s computer, mobile and storage devices have been seized and will be sent for a thorough examination, he said.

There were reports on Sunday which claimed that customer data, including mobile numbers and other details of Reliance Jio users, were allegedly leaked on an independent website.

Jio had also said its subscriber data "is safe and maintained with highest level of security".

The company is one of fastest in the world to touch the 100-million subscriber mark within months of its launch in September 2016.

When asked about the data leak, Maharashtra cyber police’s superintendent Balsingh Rajput confirmed that some leak had occurred but declined to give details about the quantum of the breach. 

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