Cyber Cops Busted for Selling Call Records
• Private Agency Bought Police Call Data
• Two Thane Cops Suspended
Unmesh Gujarathi
Sprouts News Exclusive
Contact: +91 9322755098
Two Thane cyber police officers were arrested for selling confidential Call Detail Records (CDRs) to a private detective agency. The buyer, Mohammad Sohel, was also detained. Thane Police Commissioner suspended the officers immediately. Sprouts News reports a deeper probe is underway to assess potential misuse of data and national security risks.
Breach has surfaced at Thane’s Cyber Police Station
A significant breach of trust has surfaced at Thane’s Cyber Police Station, located within close proximity to the city police commissioner’s office. Two police constables—Aakash Surve and Harshad Parab—have been arrested for unlawfully selling Call Detail Records (CDRs) to a private detective agency. The recipient of this sensitive data has been identified as Mohammad Sohel Mohammad Shabbir Rajput, a resident of Rabodi. The incident has triggered widespread alarm over internal misconduct and serious lapses in cybersecurity protocols within the Maharashtra police department.
As reported by Sprouts News, the exposure of this data leak has led to immediate disciplinary action. Thane Police Commissioner Ashutosh Dumbre has suspended both Surve and Parab for breaching official confidentiality. Investigations are ongoing to uncover the extent of the data misuse and whether the CDRs were accessed or transmitted for purposes that could endanger public or national security.
CDR Leak Highlights Deeper Issues in Law Enforcement Oversight
Preliminary reports indicate that Aakash Surve joined the Maharashtra Police in 2014, while Harshad Parab entered the force in 2018. Both were posted at the Cyber Police Station in Thane and have been working together for the last three years. Their repeated interactions with Mohammad Sohel—a known offender with a prior criminal record—are now under the scanner. Investigators believe Sohel obtained multiple CDRs through these officers over an extended period.
While the precise financial value of the data transactions remains undisclosed, sources indicate a recurring exchange of call records. Authorities are also probing how the trio connected, who mediated the illegal dealings, and whether more officers or external agents were involved. The illegal procurement and sale of CDRs without court or senior official authorization is a criminal offense under the Indian Telegraph Act and IT Act provisions.
Also read: IPS Officer Deven Bharti Named Mumbai’s New Police Commissioner.
Link to Potential National Security Threats Being Investigated
Law enforcement sources have not ruled out the possibility that the data sold to Sohel may have been misused for surveillance, blackmail, or even anti-national activities. Mohammad Sohel is reportedly associated with a private detective agency, which is now under investigation for its role in acquiring confidential data without clearance. Senior police officials are assessing whether this data breach may have impacted ongoing investigations or compromised the safety of individuals under surveillance or protection.
In response to the scandal, Senior Police Inspector Prakash Warke of the Cyber Police Station has filed formal charges against Surve, Parab, and Sohel. The city’s Crime Branch has now taken over the investigation, which could lead to additional arrests and deeper revelations in the coming days.
