Pune: Corporate Espionage? Ex-Officials of Catering Firm Accused of Leaking Sensitive Information
Pune, 29th January 2025: A case has been registered against a former senior official of Catalyst Services Solutions Partners, a company providing corporate catering services, for allegedly stealing confidential company data and using it to benefit another firm. The accused, Sushobhan Sarkar, along with several other former employees, is accused of misusing sensitive information, including financial records and branding details, before resigning and joining a competitor.
The complaint was lodged by Sachin Shivajirao Desai, Chief Human Resources Officer of Catalyst Services, at Cyber Police Station. The forensic investigation revealed that Sarkar and his associates had illegally accessed and transferred confidential company data, violating non-disclosure agreements.
According to the police, Catalyst Services operates 120 units across India and employs 5,297 people. The company provides canteen management and food services for corporate employees. The alleged data breach occurred between April 6, 2020, and November 4, 2023, at the company’s office in Balewadi, Pune.
The issue came to light after a series of resignations by senior officials, including:
Sushobhan Sarkar, Chief Growth Officer (resigned April 28, 2023)
Yogesh Dudhan, General Manager
Manish Jirgale, Food Solutions Department
Shashank Gupte, Food Solutions Department
Amol Gurjar, Food Solutions Department
Lalit Malpe, Administration and Insurance Department (resignation not accepted due to financial fraud allegations)
As part of the resignation process, these officials returned their company-issued laptops, which were then subjected to forensic examination. The findings exposed a major data breach, indicating that while still employed at Catalyst Services, Sushobhan Sarkar had started working for Axon Corporate Services India, a firm based in Malad, Mumbai.
The forensic report revealed that Sarkar had used his personal email ID from his company-issued laptop to transfer sensitive information, including:
Financial records such as annual and monthly expenses, balance sheets, and unit deposit costs
Mission statements and branding materials
Agreements and other classified business documents
Additionally, Sarkar had allegedly stored the stolen data on his personal Apple cloud storage before leaving the company. The police stated that this breach violated Catalyst Services’ non-disclosure agreement (NDA), causing financial and strategic losses to the company.
Based on the forensic findings, a case has been registered against Sushobhan Sarkar under relevant sections of the law. Police Inspector Swapnali Shinde is leading the investigation.
