Pune Police Book Drone-Firm Employee for Alleged Theft of Sensitive Defence Data, Joining Rival Company
Pune police file FIR against ex-assistant manager of a drone maker accused of stealing sensitive defence-related data and defecting to a competitor.
Pune|08 December 2025: On 3 December 2025, the city police registered a case against a former assistant manager of a Pune-based drone manufacturing company after allegations surfaced that he stole classified defence-related data and joined a rival firm. The accused, 35-year-old Anand Matta from Pimple Saudagar, had worked in research and development for the firm.
Matta was previously employed with the company’s sister concern, and from January 2020 he had been handling critical projects for the drone manufacturing outfit. His responsibilities reportedly included overseeing design documents, architectural plans, motherboard and sensor-board layouts, procurement strategies and pricing information – material considered highly sensitive due to the company’s work for the armed forces.
The allegations state that Matta transferred data – including source code, detailed design and proprietary files -from his company laptop to personal storage or email before returning the devices. His sudden absence from work on 28 November 2025 triggered suspicion and led the company to lodge a formal complaint on 3 December.
According to the complaint, Matta had signed a bond to serve the firm until at least April 2026. His early resignation and immediate move to a competitor amounted to a breach of contract and reportedly caused an estimated financial loss of around ₹21 lakh to the original employer.
Authorities have charged him under relevant provisions of the Information Technology law (for computer- and data-theft related offences) as well as under criminal-breach-of-trust and cheating statutes in the new legal code. The local police station’s crime investigation unit has taken over the probe.
The case draws attention not only to contract violations and corporate espionage but to serious national-security concerns. The company’s complaint highlights that the stolen data pertains to projects tied to the Indian Armed Forces and related defence agencies – raising the possibility that the information could be misused by rival firms or third parties.
This is not an isolated incident. Over recent months, a number of companies in Pune and neighbouring regions have reported data-theft cases where employees allegedly misused their access to source codes, designs and confidential documentation before leaving to join competitors. Such episodes underscore growing vulnerabilities in intellectual-property protection, especially in sectors dealing with defence, aerospace and high-security manufacturing.
Experts on corporate security and defence-production warn that when employees involved in defence-linked design or development – particularly of drones, UAVs or related technologies – switch employers or transfer data illicitly, the stakes are very high. Loss of proprietary designs, schematics or software can compromise not only commercial competitiveness but national security.
For the firm involved, the recruitment of a successor, audit of internal access logs, verification of existing design integrity, and tightening of internal data-security protocols are likely next steps. For Pune’s defence-manufacturing ecosystem, this case may prompt a review of employee vetting, contract-bond mechanisms, and data-loss prevention strategies.
As the investigation unfolds, authorities will likely examine digital audit trails, email logs, and storage transfers to confirm the extent of data leakage. Meanwhile, the broader industry must take heed: protecting sensitive data is as much about strong contracts as about strict internal security standards and oversight.
