Bengaluru tech drama: How an ex-employee sabotaged company after being laid off
Hell hath no fury like an ex-employee scorned. A Bengaluru-based grocery startup, Kirana-Pro, recently faced one of the most severe data wipeouts in its operational history, shaking the foundation of its digital infrastructure. Initially, the company suspected that an outsider had infiltrated their systems and caused the damage. However, further investigation revealed a startling internal twist. The company's leadership now believes that the destruction of its data was not the work of a malicious external hacker but the intentional act of a former team member.
Following an internal inquiry, Kirana-Pro's co-founder and CEO,
Deepak Ravindran
, addressed the issue on social media, indicating that a past employee may have been behind the data deletion. The investigation pointed toward a former colleague who was previously associated with Ravindran in another startup venture called Lookup. Kumar was not dismissed in the conventional sense but was removed from the team during a period of internal restructuring, which the leadership emphasized was not a disciplinary firing.
— deepakravindran (@deepakravindran)
In an interview with
Hindustan Times,
Ravindran identified the employee as one
Lava Kumar
and addressed why he was told to leave. The company had been undergoing significant changes in its internal structure, particularly with the arrival of a new chief technology officer named Sourav. This new leadership shift brought about a reorganization of the technical teams, and as a result, Kumar's position became redundant. Although the termination was not labeled as a formal firing, it effectively ended Kumar's responsibilities within the firm.
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Ravindran acknowledged that Kumar had a strong background in business and had previously expressed a desire to contribute to the company's product development. Initially, the leadership allowed him to explore that space due to the minimal development framework at the time. However, the arrival of the new CTO changed the company's strategic direction, prompting a comprehensive reshuffling of personnel to align with fresh objectives and goals.
Following Kumar's departure, tensions arose between him and the company leadership, especially concerning business-related matters. However, according to Ravindran, those disputes have now been addressed and resolved amicably. Discussions between the two parties reportedly brought them closer to an agreement, suggesting that any hostility or resentment that once existed has since been put to rest.
Kirana-Pro's leadership has downplayed any notion of ongoing conflict, asserting that the workplace atmosphere remains harmonious and cooperative despite the disruption caused by the data loss. While the deliberate erasure of sensitive corporate information is a serious allegation, the company has chosen to resolve the matter through mutual dialogue rather than escalating it into a legal battle.
The incident highlights how internal disputes and structural changes, if not managed with clarity and caution, can lead to serious operational vulnerabilities. As Kirana-Pro works to recover from this unexpected blow, the episode serves as a cautionary tale for startups to establish clear protocols for data access, employee exits, and organizational restructuring.
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