# Bengaluru Police Book Three Private IT Employees Over Bitcoin Extortion Bid

> Bengaluru police booked three employees of a private IT company after emails demanded 10 and 30 bitcoins over stolen data affecting more than 40 customers.

- Published: 2026-10-14T15:09:43+00:00
- Section: Incidents
- Author: News Desk
- URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-14/private-it-bitcoin-extortion-fir
- Source: [The Hindu](https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/bengaluru-private-ip-service-company-files-bitcoin-extortion-bid-three-employees-booked/article71584132.ece)

## Key takeaways

- Whitefield CEN Crime Police registered an FIR against three employees of a private IT company over an alleged data theft and bitcoin extortion bid.
- The company received an email on September 15, 2026 demanding 10 bitcoins, and another on October 10 demanding 30 bitcoins.
- An intermediary allegedly sought ₹2.75 crore and then ₹2.25 crore, and the case was filed under the IT Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Whitefield CEN Crime Police have registered an FIR against three employees of a private IT company over the alleged theft of confidential company and customer data and threats to disclose it unless a cryptocurrency ransom was paid, [The Hindu](https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/bengaluru-private-ip-service-company-files-bitcoin-extortion-bid-three-employees-booked/article71584132.ece) reported. A company executive and board member lodged the complaint on October 12.

## The Extortion Emails and the Internal Inquiry

According to the complaint, the company received an email on September 15, 2026, allegedly claiming unauthorised access to its computer systems and the theft of confidential information relating to more than 40 customers and over five lakh email addresses. The sender threatened to disclose the information unless 10 bitcoins were paid.

During an internal inquiry, the company suspected employee Shivaram Nekkalapudi and others of involvement in the alleged breach of its systems and customer data. The complaint alleges that Shivaram offered to resolve the issue through an intermediary, identified as Sai Kiran, described as an ethical hacker. The intermediary allegedly demanded ₹2.75 crore initially and subsequently ₹2.25 crore, and when the company declined to pay, Sai Kiran advised the complainant to deal directly with the hacker.

On October 10, the company allegedly received another email demanding 30 bitcoins. A subsequent internal subcommittee inquiry reportedly found the alleged involvement of Shivaram, along with his subordinates Biswajit and Nikhil, who are suspected of downloading sensitive company information and threatening to disclose it unless the cryptocurrency payment was made. The police registered a case under sections 66(C) and (D) of the Information Technology Act and Sections 316, 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for further investigation.

## What Company Records Show About Private IT

According to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data), [Private IT](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/005583s/private-it) is a Paris-based firm founded in 2007 with approximately 7 employees. Its public web presence consists solely of a placeholder OVHcloud "under construction" page, with no disclosed products, services, customers, or revenue data. The same records list a headcount range of 1-10, a revenue estimate under $1 million and a valuation estimate under $10 million.

## Ransomware Cases at Other Technology Firms

Other technology companies have disclosed crypto-related incidents in recent weeks. A Douyin user claimed that a fake wallet app from the official Huawei store led to the theft of 177,473 USDT, [链捕手 ChainCatcher](https://www.chaincatcher.com/en/article/2294241) reported on October 5. Blockchain investigator ZachXBT said he infiltrated a Chinese crypto laundering network linked to North Korea's Lazarus Group after the $1.5 billion Bybit hack, claiming to have frozen over $75 million since 2022, [Cyber Security News](https://cybersecuritynews.com/zachxbt-infiltrates-lazarus-group/) reported on October 5. Hackers behind the Bitget breach reportedly moved stolen Zcash into its shielded pool after a laundering route was blocked, [CoinMarketCap](https://coinmarketcap.com/community/articles/6abd74cf6302c866e1a7803e/) reported on September 30.

## What Happens Next in the Investigation

The case is under investigation by the Whitefield CEN Crime Police under the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

## Companies in this story

- [Private IT company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/005583s/private-it) · website: https://private-it.fr

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