E-mail account of joint secretary in Chief Minister's Office hacked in Goa

PANAJI: The e-mail account of a joint secretary in Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar's office was allegedly hacked with the hacker issuing incorrect directions to government departments, a senior official said today.

Sadanand Tanawade, working as joint secretary to the Chief Minister, complained to the Goa police's crime branch yesterday that his email account was hacked.

Tanawade's cabin is located at the CM's office in the state ministerial block.

"I have complained to the crime branch that my e-mail account has been hacked. This happened yesterday," Tanawade said.

Secretariat sources said that the hacker used the e-mail account to give wrong directions to various state government departments.

Tanawade, however, refused to divulge more details while stating that it was for the police to investigate.

This is the second major incident reported from the state secretariat this year.

Last month, the secretariat received a letter allegedly by ISIS threatening Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) after investigation had claimed that the letter was a prank but failed to nab the culprit.

Also, two days back, the Goa police had arrested a youth Sameer Sardana, son of a retired Army officer, after he was found loitering suspiciously at the Vasco Railway Station.

Sardana is currently being interrogated by the ATS and Intelligence Bureau.

The NIA had arrived in the state yesterday to question him.