Personal details of 18,500 NDIS participants leaked to ‘greedy’ provider Amit Sharma by insider

A judge has condemned the leaking of private data from thousands of NDIS participants, to a “greedy provider”. This is how he was caught.

Married father-of-two Amit Sharma, solicited the names, date of births, gender and addresses of 18,500 disabled people on the scheme from friend Leena Kumar, who was an employee working for the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). Picture: Julian Andrews

EXCLUSIVE: A greedy director of a disability business illegally obtained the names and addresses of thousands of NDIS participants in the hope he could make more money, a court heard.

Married father-of-two Amit Sharma, described as a “pillar of the community”, solicited the names, date of births, gender and addresses of 18,500 disabled people on the scheme from friend Leena Kumar, who was an employee working for the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).

The court heard that Sharma’s wife Nikita Patel, a director of another company, also received private details of participants from Kumar, but she has not been charged with any wrongdoing or offences.

All three have been permanently banned from working with NDIS participants.

Banned NDIS provider Amit Sahrma, pictured leaving Parramatta District Court. Picture: Julian Andrews

Commonwealth prosecutor Barrister Rowan O’Donnell detailed how Sharma made specific requests by text message to Kumar over a period of months, seeking details of NDIS participants living in certain postcodes in NSW and Adelaide, including Aboriginal areas.

Mr O’Donnell said soliciting these personal details undermined the whole disability scheme and that “18,500 participants was a very significant number given that the purpose of offending was financial greed”.

Judge Nanette Williams, presiding over the sentencing at Sydney’s Parramatta District Court on Monday, imagined that the leaking of private details would have been “very distressing” for participants, and would have made them think, “I’m not a person with a disability, I am just a number that someone can make money out of”.

Leena Kumar leaving Parramatta Court after her sentencing for leaking thousands of names and details of NDIS participants. Pics Julian Andrews.

Sharma, who is working as a travel agent and operates a call centre in India, pleaded guilty to three counts of soliciting disclosure of protected agency information at an earlier hearing.

Sharma, originally from Indore, India, has previously sponsored red carpet ‘Bollywood’ events and glittering balls in Sydney and often posted pictures of himself posing with Indian actors.

He was described by his barrister Emmanuel Kerkyasharian as a “model citizen”, “pillar of the community” and someone who was at “low risk of re-offending”.

He said his client had admitted it was “greed” that made him act, but that no evidence was presented to the court that showed he was successful in making a financial gain from the data leaks.

NDIS Sydney businessman Amit Sharma (right) with wife Nikita Patel (left). Picture: Facebook

Judge Williams noted that the Crown believed the offence warranted a period of full-time imprisonment.

She adjourned the judgement until August 22.

Sharma is the first person to be sentenced for this offence.

Co-offender Kumar, who was charged with the use or disclosing of protected agency information without authorisation, and official abuse of public office to cause detriment, was sentenced to an Intensive Corrections Order at an earlier hearing in May.

Following the hearing, it was revealed that highly skilled investigators from the Fraud Fusion Taskforce used digital forensics – analysing phones, laptops and other devices to isolate data, including data that had been deleted, as well as advanced data analytics tools – to gather evidence against Sharma.

Led by the NDIA, the Taskforce, which investigates suspected fraud and other dishonest behaviour, worked alongside Federal Police, to execute a search warrant at Sharma’s Sydney home, seizing documents and electronic devices which resulted in him being arrested and charged on the same day.

The Taskforce also worked with the NDIS Quality and Safeguard Commission, to secure lifetime bans against Sharma and his businesses.

Sharma is the Taskforce’s 20th successful prosecution against individuals who have sought to exploit NDIS participants since it was set up by the Albanese Government in 2022.

In two and a half years, Taskforce investigations have disrupted more than $60 million in illegal NDIS activity and sent 14 criminals to jail.

Originally published as Personal details of 18,500 NDIS participants leaked to ‘greedy’ provider Amit Sharma by insider