Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti’s Production House Hit With Data Theft, 66 Hard Disks With Unreleased Content Stolen – Report

The Mumbai Police have arrested two individuals, including an office staffer, in connection with the theft of dozens of high-capacity hard disks from the Bandra office of Tiger Baby Digital LLP, a production house owned by acclaimed Bollywood filmmakers Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti. The stolen storage units, valued at approximately INR 13 lakh, contained sensitive data including unreleased footage, rough edits, archival content, and completed data for high-profile film, commercial, and OTT projects. Law enforcement authorities and cybercrime experts have launched a full investigation to trace the missing drives and prevent potential online leaks. Amid ‘Don 3’ Dispute With Ranveer Singh, Farhan Akhtar in Talks To Play Pakistani Cricketer in Aamir Khan’s Lala Amarnath Biopic – Report.

Zoya Akhtar’s Production Hit by Data Theft

The incident came to light on May 21, 2026, when employees at the Bandra West office requested a specific hard disk for ongoing work. Mohammad Shahid Khan, a 28-year-old support staffer who had worked at the company for seven years and was responsible for fetching the drives, failed to produce it.  Suspicious of the delay, an executive assistant inspected the office storage cupboard. Inside, she discovered that several hard disks were missing.

Furthermore, some of the original packaging boxes were found partially burnt, though there were no burn marks on the cupboard itself, suggesting they had been set on fire elsewhere to cover up the crime.  Following an internal audit, the production house discovered that out of 119 hard disks, dozens were unaccounted for.

While early police reports indicated 66 missing drives, the internal audit flagged that the total number could be higher. An official First Information Report (FIR) was subsequently lodged by Mehjabeen Mushtaq Shaikh, an executive assistant and HR administrator at Tiger Baby.

Staff Sold It for INR 15,000 to INR 20,000 Each

During police interrogation, Khan allegedly confessed to systematically stealing the high-capacity storage drives ranging from 16TB to 72TB over the last five months.  Khan admitted to stealing at least 24 of the drives and selling them in the grey market to a buyer identified as 48-year-old Ritesh Shah, a resident of Borivali. According to investigators, Khan sold each premium hard disk for a fraction of its value, pocketing between INR 15,000 and INR 20,000 per unit.

The Bandra Police swiftly arrested both Khan and Shah. Charges have been filed under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for theft by a servant of property in possession of an employer, as well as receiving stolen property. A local court has remanded both accused to police custody until May 29.  Industry Implications and Vulnerable DataTiger Baby Digital LLP, founded in 2015, is known for producing critically acclaimed titles such as Gully Boy, the Prime Video series Made in Heaven, and segments of Netflix’s Ghost Stories.

Sources indicate that the compromised drives contained production timelines, backups, and raw material from these flagship shows, alongside advertisement campaigns.  While the hardware value of the missing property stands around INR 13 lakh, industry insiders warn that the financial stakes are significantly higher. Vijay’s ‘Jana Nayagan’ Leak: Cyber Crime Wing Busts Piracy Ring, 3 More Arrested in Ongoing Investigation.

If confidential or unreleased content from these disks is leaked online, the financial and intellectual property damage to the production house could escalate into crores of rupees.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 26, 2026 02:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).