Mumbai Police have arrested one person and registered an FIR after 66 hard disks containing sensitive production data were allegedly stolen from Tiger Baby Digital LLP, the production house of filmmakers Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti, at their Bandra West office. The theft, which reportedly unfolded over five months, came to light on 21 May when staff were unable to locate devices needed for ongoing work.

How the Theft Was Discovered

Employees at the Bandra West office first noticed the missing devices on 21 May during a routine search of the storage area. Instead of the original hard disks, staff allegedly found empty and partially damaged boxes inside storage cabinets. Crucially, investigators noted no signs of forced entry, fire, or external damage — pointing to an inside job from the outset.

A complaint was formally filed by the company's Executive Assistant and HR Admin, Mehjabeen Mushtaq Sheikh, prompting the Bandra Police to launch a full investigation.

The Accused and What Police Found

Police arrested Mohammad Shahid Azim Khan, who worked as an office boy and had reportedly been responsible for handling and storing the hard disks for several years. During interrogation, he allegedly confessed to stealing multiple devices over the past five months.

According to investigators, Shahid admitted to selling 24 hard disks to a Borivali-based man identified as Ritesh for approximately ₹15,000 to ₹20,000 each. Ritesh is currently absconding, and police teams are actively conducting searches to trace him. Shahid has allegedly been unable to account for the whereabouts of the remaining missing devices, raising suspicion that additional individuals may be involved.

Investigators are also examining the possible role of another staff member, Kalpesh Pawar. While suspicion has reportedly been raised regarding his involvement, police clarified that no conclusion has been reached and the probe remains ongoing.

Scale of the Data Loss

Internal checks by the production company reportedly revealed that 119 hard disks were stored at the office, of which 66 are currently unaccounted for. The missing devices were high-capacity storage units ranging from 16TB to 72TB, used to store raw footage, edit timelines, post-production backups, and archives of unreleased projects.

The estimated value of the missing physical devices is believed to be between ₹12 lakh and ₹13 lakh. However, industry insiders fear that actual losses could run into crores if any unreleased content is leaked online. Projects whose data was reportedly stored on the missing disks include 'Made In Heaven', 'Ghost Stories', 'Nykaa' campaigns, and 'Gandhi Money'.

Wider Implications for the Industry

Investigators are examining whether the stolen data was accessed, copied, sold, or leaked further. Officials suspect a larger network involved in digital data theft may be linked to the case — a concern that has amplified alarm across Mumbai's entertainment sector.

This incident underscores growing vulnerabilities in how production houses manage physical digital assets. With the film and OTT sectors now heavily dependent on high-capacity local storage alongside cloud-based workflows, a single insider breach can expose years of unreleased content. This is not an isolated concern — multiple production houses have faced data security lapses in recent years, though few have involved theft of this scale.

Police have said the investigation is ongoing, with searches underway to trace Ritesh, recover the remaining hard disks, and determine the full extent of any data compromise.