‘Matrix Business Services, yes we use them. You’re referring to the Chennai based company right?’ Hemant knew them. In his role in fraud management, he often dealt with them.
‘Yes, the same blokes.’
‘The bank still uses them. We interact with them almost everyday.’
‘Great. They are the best in the business. Anyway, I had earlier casually perused a few files from the fifty files that Kavya had managed to get from HR. All the files that I saw from the general lot had the background checks done by Matrix. Till here, it’s all fine. The problem is that the six personnel files of the RMs under cloud that I have just gone through don’t have the verification report.’
‘Doing a verification is a mandatory requirement for HR. It’s a Group HR directive—prescribed by Global Head Quarters in Boston,’ added Hemant. He was a veteran in the bank and hence knew its processes inside out.
‘Then how come these tainted RMs don’t have a verification report on file?’ Hemant shrugged his shoulders in response.
Karan thought for a moment, ‘Hmm. . .There can only be two possibilities. There was a report, but it was negative which is why it was pulled out and hidden. Or, there was no report at all.’
‘But you have only seen six files. Maybe it’s there in the rest,’ Kavya interjected.
‘My guess is that if this is not there in the six that I have gone through, it is unlikely that it will be there in the remaining seven.’
‘Okay. Let me check with Matrix. I know PC Balasubramanian, the CEO who sits in Chennai. If he has done the verifications, I will ask him to send the reports for all these guys. If he has not done it, then it’s obvious: someone has pulled the names out before sending the names of new employees for background checks.’ Hemant volunteered. ‘That would be great,’ Karan smiled.
Hemant was about to walk out of the room when Karan stopped him. ‘Wait. Listen to the balance part of my observation and then go.’
‘You’re making it sound very dramatic Karan,’ Kavya said, sounding amused.
‘Yes Kavya. It’s indeed dramatic. And that’s what I want to verify.’
‘I’m all ears.’
‘The first six RMs that I have seen have all been referred by one individual,’ and he paused. ‘I want you to glance through the other files quickly and see if what I have observed is true.’
Kavya didn’t wait for him to tell her anything else. She pulled out the other files and started hurriedly going through them.
‘I am taking a five-minute break,’ announced Karan when he saw Kavya busy with the files and Hemant trying to call Bala of Matrix. He desperately wanted the break to recharge his sapping energy cells.
Jacqueline walked in, struggling to balance bottles of coke and a few McDonalds burgers. ‘I got a mix of both veg and non-veg. I can see it’s going to be a long night.’
‘I’m lovin’ it’, quipped Karan and jumped out of his seat. He took the tray from Jacqueline’s hand and kept it on the table on one side of the room.
‘SRK slaps ex-friend Farah Khan’s husband,’ Karan read out a headline on the front page of The Times of India that lay on the table. ‘What an asshole he is!’ he said with intensity only an Indian can display about films. Right next to it was another headline—‘Jadeja. IPL’s next million dollar baby?’ He had an irritated look as he scanned through the article. ‘I always hated the guy. If guys like him start making a million dollars in one season, I want my kid to play in the IPL and not test cricket,’ he said to himself. After reading the article he looked at Hemant and lamented, ‘Looks like cricket and films have taken over the front page of our newspapers.’
‘Maybe. I guess commercial needs drive the media these days,’ said Hemant. ‘By the way, Nikhil is on his way here. I got Jacqueline to call him.’
‘Great. Thanks.’ He was still reading the article showering lavish praise on Ravindra Jadeja. ‘See what closeness to Mahendra Singh Dhoni can do for you?’ Karan said, still lost in that article. Hemant was not interested.
‘Bala was with someone. He said he will call in five minutes.’
‘Bala?’
‘P C Balasubramanian, the CEO of Matrix.’
‘Oh, right.’
At that very instant, Hemant’s phone rang. He looked at the other two. ‘Bala,’ he whispered before picking it up.
‘Hemant. . .it’s been far too long.’
‘Hey junior Rajini,’ Hemant always called Bala junior Rajini, thanks to his appearance. Bala looked like a pint-sized version of the South Indian superstar Rajinikant. ‘Bala, I need some help.’
‘When you called me at this hour, I knew you needed help. Tell me.’
‘I am sending you a list of thirteen names. I need to know if you have done the verification for these guys, and if so, I need the verification reports.’
‘Sorry, Hemant, but I can’t give it to you.’
‘Bala, I need it desperately.’
‘I can only give it to authorized personnel from GB2. I have a business to run, a reputation to protect. Unless GB2 gives me specific instructions, you won’t get it out of me.’
‘Authorised personnel?’
‘Yes, there are only certain people in HR who are authorised to deal with us.’
‘Is Indrani one of them?’
‘Indrani? The CEO?’
‘Yes.’
‘Are you kidding Hemant? If Indrani says something how can I not do it? She is my karta dharta, my all-in-all.’
‘Great! You will get a mail from Indrani in the next five minutes with these names. I need the reports tonight.’
‘What? Tonight? Hemant, it’s already well past seven.’
‘Bala, it’s an emergency. We need it. I know you can do it. There’s no one I have met who is more resourceful than you.’
‘I will wait for instructions from Indrani, and then I will do my best.’
‘Thanks Bala.’
Hemant looked at Karan. ‘Now please stop reading the newspaper and send him the message from Indrani’s ID asap. Bala will send all the information we need, tonight. I know him well enough.’
Kavya saw Karan looking dejected. He had just taken a breather. ‘I will send it,’ she volunteered and got up.
‘Just kidding Kavya. I will do it. Don’t bother,’ and Hemant smiled. ‘Thanks,’ added Karan, who followed it up with an instruction. ‘And please guys, let me read one article in the newspaper in peace. And that too in my own newspaper.’ He desperately needed a break. Kavya would take about ten minutes to finish her analysis. She had to go through all the personnel files.
The other big story on the front page was the Times of India starting off their Cochin edition. February 1st was the day the Cochin launch had been planned. He was a part of the core project team, which had been put together for the launch. His chest swelled up a few inches with pride. From the time he led the GB2 fraud investigation a few years back, life had not been the same for him. He turned the page. A few Mumbai stories on page three—rapes, murders, corruption, drugs. . .the usual. He moved on. By the time he reached page eleven, he was just skimming subconsciously through the pages. However, something on the page caught his attention. He folded the newspaper around the article and began reading it. His eyes widened; he knew what he had just seen would have a huge bearing on their resolving the case.
39
Devikulam
31st January 2012, Late evening
The phone at Krishna Menon’s residence rang a good ten times before it got picked up that evening.
‘Mr Menon?’
‘Speaking.’
‘Mr Menon I’m calling from Times Today. Mr Sengupta would like to talk to you. Can I connect you now?’ and without waiting for his response, the lady transferred the line to Mohit Sengupta.
‘Mr Menon, how are you?’
‘I am fine, thank you.’
‘It’s a pleasure to talk to you sir. I only heard about your call a few minutes ago. Tell me sir. . .’
&
nbsp; ‘Yes Mr Sengupta. I called up a while ago. Something has been seriously bothering me for the last few days. And I wanted to discuss it with you.’
For the next ten minutes Krishna spoke and Mohit Sengupta heard him out. For once, the latter was quiet and didn’t interrupt. Once Menon was done, he took over. There was palpable excitement in his voice, an energy, which was lacking at the start of the call.
‘I have a suggestion Mr Menon. One of the most popular shows on our channel is The Big News Debate. If you are fine with it, we can get you on the show to talk about this. There will be other panellists too who will speak on the same issue, but it will be largely your show. You will get an opportunity and an audience to say whatever you want to. And we can do that tonight.’
‘But won’t it be too late to catch today’s debate? It’s already seven’
‘No sir. It can be managed. In fact, it’s a live show. We go on air at 9.00 p.m. sharp. Luckily I have an Outdoor Broadcast (OB) van stationed in Devikulam, which had been sent there to cover the anti-TNPP protests. That van can hook you up from your home. Does this sound acceptable to you sir?’
‘Yes sounds good. I will be able to structure my thoughts by then.’ Krishna was elated at this quick and positive response from Times Today.
‘Thanks. My team will be in touch. I will hook you up at 8.55 p.m. and we will go live at 9.00 p.m.’
The moment he hung up, Mohit went into a frenzy. He had a big story, which he wanted to break. The best part about it was that he had exclusive access to this scoop. His research team went berserk trying to put together a briefing note for the programme. Panellists had to be gathered, questions had to be readied, background work had to be done and they were going live in two hours. How the two hours passed, no one at Times Today knew.
At 8.58 p.m., Mohit was in the anchor’s chair, all the panellists were wired and connected, waiting, ready to go live. The opening montage began playing, indicating that the programme had started. The teleprompter for Mohit flickered a bit and came on.
‘Good evening friends. We are back again tonight on your favourite channel Times Today with your favourite show, The Big News Debate. Today, we bring you an exclusive. You will see and hear this for the first time on your own channel. This is breaking news, and as usual, Times Today will be the first to bring it to you. The controversial Indo-Russian project—the Trikakulam Nuclear Power Plant seems to be headed for yet another controversy now. This time it’s the team protesting against the TNPP which is courting trouble. Times Today brings to you an exclusive story about the rift in the core team leading the protests against the commissioning of the TNPP. You are hearing it for the first time on your own channel Times Today.’ In true Mohit Sengupta manner, he raised his pitch and introduced the panellists. ‘On our panel tonight is Mr Krishna Menon, the individual with guts of steel who has been battling the TNPP for over a decade. A resort owner in Devikulam, Mr Menon has been at the forefront ever since the government decided to commission a nuclear plant in his neighbourhood. Mr Menon tragically lost his elder son in the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, twenty-five years ago. Thank you, Mr Menon, for joining us on the show.
Apart from Mr Menon we also have Mr Jayakumar, the president of CNRI—Conservation of Natural Resources through Innovative use of Technology, an NGO that works in rural India in the field of conservation of natural resources. His NGO has been actively involved with Mr Menon in the protests against TNPP. Out third guest tonight is Mr Moinuddin, retired DGP of Devikulam district. We also have on our panel, Mr Madan Mohan, social worker and MLA from Devikulam. Mr Madan Mohan is currently an independent MLA from the region and like most of the residents of the Devikulam catchment is a staunch critic of the TNPP. We are happy to have you on this debate gentlemen.’
A chorus of ‘thank yous’ erupted from all the four guests.
‘We will begin by asking Mr Jayakumar, sir why are you hell-bent on stalling the nuclear plant? What will you gain by it? The viewers want to know from you today—what is your motivation? Power cuts in the four southern states will be a thing of the past. The whole country will benefit from the energy that the plant is expected to generate. Won’t it? It is slated to be the most state-of-the-art facility built with Russian collaboration. That’s not all. The government has spent close to three billion dollars on it already. Would you want that to go down the drain Mr Jayakumar?’
‘Mohit, no amount of money is more precious than the lives of thousands of innocent individuals. All of us have seen what has happened in Japan. We do not want a repeat of that.’ He went on to give the reasons for the protest against the plant.
Hardly had he completed his first point, when Mohit interrupted, ‘I can see Mr Menon shaking his head. Mr Menon wants to say something. Mr Menon. Mr Menon, can you hear me. . . Please go ahead.’
‘Mohit, if you look at it from the perspective of the people of the catchment area, all the reasons for the protest against the TNPP are valid. No one can counter those. We have been asking for clarity from the government on various things, which include the site evaluation report. But that has not been forthcoming. So what Mr Jayakumar has been saying about the anti-TNPP protests, all that is true. But I would like to make one thing clear. We are not against the nuclear plant. That’s a misconception. We are against the project being shrouded in secrecy. We want transparency. We want the people to be convinced that their interests and lives have been protected.’
‘Okay. Mr Menon says that there have been no candid discussions or disclosures about the nuclear plant. Fair point. But Mr Menon, we have been hearing about rifts and ideological clashes between you and Mr Jayakumar. The fact is that you have been involved with the protests for over a decade now, but it is also a fact that your movement has got the necessary impetus and thrust only in the last few months, which coincidentally is the time when Mr Jayakumar stepped in to support you. Tell us today, Mr Menon, is there a rift in the team?’
‘Mohit. . .’ Jayakumar began, but was interrupted even before he could say anything meaningful. ‘We will come to you Mr Jayakumar, but first we will let Mr Menon answer.’
‘Yes.’ When Menon said this, everyone fell silent. ‘There are irreconcilable differences which have cropped up within the team.’
‘So what we are hearing about a rift is true. There is indeed a rift, which threatens to jeopardise your movement. This is big breaking news on your channel viewers. No one else has heard of this before and we, your own channel, bring it to you live and exclusive as the story breaks. Mr Menon, go ahead.’
‘Yes there is a fissure. I have now decided that if Mr Jayakumar is in the movement, I will not be a part of it.’
‘And why would that be?’
‘Because I am not convinced about the validity of the force driving the mission at his end.’
‘Mr Menon, you are playing with words. What is the true story? Our viewers are waiting to hear from you.’
‘There are multiple reasons. First and foremost, I have a serious issue with the motivation behind Jayakumar joining the movement. The source of funds driving the movement is also suspect. I have a suspicion that dirty money is flowing into this movement to embarrass the government into submission.’
‘That is a very big accusation Mr Menon. I hope you know what you are saying. On national television, you are accusing a senior member of your team of corruption. What is the basis of this accusation? Do you have any evidence in support of this claim?’
‘This is rubbish!’ Amidst the raised voice of Mohit Sengupta, another voice was heard. ‘Absolute nonsense.’ It was Jayakumar, shouting at the top of his voice.
‘Hold on Mr Jayakumar, you will get a chance to rebut. Go on Mr Menon.’
‘This afternoon, I was party to a conversation wherein my honourable colleague Mr Jayakumar was speaking to the Defence Secretary, threatening him with aggravation of the protest if the defence deal with Israel does not go through. He said he would continue the protests if the order for military truc
ks wasn’t released. I do not want to build this protest on a foundation laid on blackmail and corruption.’
‘This is a huge exposé on your own channel Times Today. The very people who are driving the anti-TNPP protest are linking it to the Israel defence deal. This is turning out to be a lot murkier than what we had initially thought it to be. Mr Jayakumar this is a very big accusation, how do you respond to this?’
‘I don’t even think this is worth responding to. This is absolute rubbish and a figment of imagination of a senile old man. I don’t even want to comment. I’m ready to disclose my telephone bills publically for anyone to see. I have devoted my entire working life for the upliftment of society. I am pained, that after decades of selflessly serving the public, I have to even sit here and defend this accusation.’
‘So are you denying that the conversation that Mr Menon is referring to ever happened?’
‘Yes, I deny it totally. It never happened.’
‘Mr Menon, this is your word against Mr Jayakumar’s. Two renowned and respected individuals, both involved in a public cause, seemingly for the benefit of the people. Do you have any concrete evidence, any document in support of what you are saying?’
‘No, I can just talk about today’sconversation, which prompted me to go public.’
‘Before we go into a break on this discussion tonight, wherein we have broken an exclusive story about the rift in the TNPP protest team, let’s get some views from our other panellists. Mr Moinuddin, ex-DGP of Devikulam joins us from Devikulam. Mr Moinuddin.’
‘Mr Mohit, thank you for having me on this show. I think Mr Krishna Menon is making a crazy accusation right now. In my view, he is quite upset that he is losing ground to Mr Jayakumar in the battle against TNPP. Mr Jayakumar is emerging as the public face of the protest, and that too at a time when the global media is focusing their attention on Devikulam. This is upsetting my dear friend, Mr Krishna Menon. And he is levelling unsubstantiated accusations to settle scores. In fact, what locus standi does Mr Krishna Menon have to talk about corruption when he has been arrested on charges of smuggling elephant tusks, years ago?’
The Bankster (Ravi Subramanian) Page 24