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A major data theft case has sent shockwaves across Mumbai’s film industry after 66 hard disks containing sensitive movie and web series data allegedly
went missing from the office of Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti’s production company, Tiger Baby Digital LLP. According to police sources, the missing hard disks reportedly contained important digital content related to films, web series, advertisements, raw footage, edited material, post-production backups and unreleased project archives. The estimated value of the missing storage devices and the data loss is said to be around Rs 12 to 13 lakh, though industry insiders fear the actual damage could run into crores if any unreleased content gets leaked online.
Office Staffer Arrested, Admits Selling Hard Disks
The case came to light after a complaint was filed at Bandra Police Station. Police have registered an FIR against two accused, identified as Mohammad Shahid Azim Khan and a man named Ritesh. Shahid has been arrested while police teams are searching for the other accused. During questioning, Shahid, who worked as an office boy and was reportedly responsible for handling and storing the hard disks for several years, allegedly confessed to stealing multiple hard disks over the last five months.
Police sources said the accused admitted to selling 24 hard disks to a Borivali-based man named Ritesh for around Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 each. However, he has not been able to clearly explain what happened to the remaining missing hard disks, raising suspicion that more people could be involved in the theft.
Theft Discovered During Internal Search
The incident reportedly surfaced on May 21, when employees at the Bandra West office were searching for specific hard disks needed for work. After failing to locate them, staff members checked the storage cabinets and discovered that several disks were missing. Instead of the original devices, employees allegedly found empty and partially damaged boxes kept inside the storage area. There were no signs of fire or any external damage, following which the company launched an internal inquiry.
Based on a complaint filed by the company’s Executive Assistant and HR Admin Mehjabeen Mushtaq Sheikh, police began investigating the matter.
Data Related To Major Projects Missing
Sources said the stolen hard disks allegedly contained important production material linked to several major projects, including raw footage, edit timelines, backup files and production archives. Some of the projects whose data was reportedly stored in the missing disks include Made In Heaven, Ghost Stories, Nykaa campaigns and Gandhi Money. Investigators are also looking into the possibility that some unreleased content may have been compromised.
66 Out Of 119 Hard Disks Missing
Internal checks reportedly revealed that the production house had a total of 119 hard disks in storage, out of which 66 are currently unaccounted for. These were high-capacity storage devices ranging from 16TB to 72TB and were being used to store massive amounts of digital production data connected to films, OTT projects and commercial shoots.
Another Employee Under Scanner
Police are also examining the possible role of another staff member, identified as Kalpesh Pawar. While suspicion has been raised regarding his possible involvement in some of the missing disks, investigators said no conclusion has been reached yet and the probe is still underway.
Film Industry Concerned Over Data Security
The incident has once again raised serious concerns about digital security in the entertainment industry. With most film and OTT projects now completely dependent on digital storage and cloud-based workflows, any leak of unreleased footage or confidential project files could result in huge financial losses.
Bandra Police are currently trying to trace the remaining hard disks and determine whether the stolen data was accessed, copied, sold or leaked further. Investigators are also probing whether a larger network linked to digital data theft could be involved in the case.
