Chapter 23
It was a Saturday. Vinay and Sana were walking near Metro Plaza to have lunch in the food court. Vinay saw Himesh standing outside the main entrance of the Octos Towers Tech Park. After few minutes Ashutosh came and they both went inside the Tech Park. Vinay told Sana he was going to follow them and told her to go home.
Vinay immediately shadowed them. He made the entries in the security register and showed his company ID card and went inside the Tech Park making sure they both won’t notice him following them. He climbed the same shuttle bus Ashutosh and Himesh climbed and seated far away from them. They got down at Tower 5.
Tower 5, the center tower in the middle of the mini township hosted the Headquarters of PicoEMG. Vinay stopped. He knew he could not get access in to the building and follow Ashutosh and Himesh. Vinay backtracked.
Himesh and Ashutosh were in a meeting with Ravi on the fortieth floor. Ravi worked as a PicoEMG Executive. They were discussing about the CDSTP project.
On Monday, Sana scanned through all the documents in the pedestals used by Puneet and Satish. She found nothing unusual that aroused her suspicion. There were some cheque books in each of their pedestals. Many people had accounts with Dochamk Bank and possessed cheque books from Dochamk Bank.
She then logged into the CDSTP back-end system and checked for any activity. The deployment audit log file showed all the entries arranged by file name, modified by and last modified date. There was one entry in the last line “File cftrnscr modified by Puneet 03:34 PM”
Later Vinay and Sana discussed their findings.
“What they are doing in PicoEMG office? Does that mean somebody from PicoEMG is also involved in this?” asked Sana.
“Not sure of anything. But it looks like that. I have noticed them before in Octos Towers Tech Park entrance. I thought they just went there to meet their friend or somebody or eat something in one of the food courts there. But I didn’t expect they are going to PicoEMG office. What business they have got there both Ashutosh and Himesh?” said Vinay.
“This is all confusing. Look at this file cftrnscr. Do you know about this file? And why Puneet modified it?” asked Sana.
“It’s the code for transaction screen dump. It will be invoked whenever a transaction fails or hangs and this code will create a dump with all the details for doing analysis later. What Puneet is doing in that file? What is he doing in CDSTP operations? He is not in CDSTP maintenance team. He is working in GF project right?” said Vinay.
“Let’s check with him gently. Let’s not talk about funneling. We will check with him only about this file and why he modified it. Just call him to your desk and check when no one is around,” said Sana.
Vinay waited for everyone to go for tea break. When Puneet was about to leave for tea, he called out to him.
“Hi Puneet, why you have modified this file?” asked Vinay.
“What file?” asked Puneet.
“See here. It says file cftrnscr modified by Puneet,” Vinay showed the PC screen to him.
“It says modified by me. This is CDSTP project code right. I didn’t do anything. I didn’t change anything there. I’m not working for CDSTP maintenance. There are other people who may know my passwords. Ok I will send out an email to Support team to remove access to my login id. Thanks for showing me this,” said Puneet.
Later Puneet send out an email to the CDSTP Support team to remove access to his login id.
Vinay decided to eliminate Puneet from his suspect list. Now he decided to confront Ashutosh directly. He knew exactly at what time Ashutosh and Himesh would go to Octos Towers. He decided to catch them right there.
Saturday morning 11.30 AM, Vinay waited for the duo to come. Himesh was just coming out of the main entrance of the Octos Towers Tech Park. He immediately rushed there and met him near the two wheeler parking area.
“So what I suspected all along is true then,” said Vinay.
Himesh was surprised and became nervous. His eyes looked sideways from Vinay and searched for someone.
“Not here. This is not the right place to talk. Let’s move to my room,” said Ashutosh from behind Vinay in a hushed tone.
Vinay turned around and found Ashutosh.
“You, of all people, involved in this!” shouted Vinay.
“What’s going on? How long this is happening?” asked Vinay.
“Let’s go to my house and discuss all day. We will be glad to explain you everything,” said Ashutosh.
“You would better or you both are going to be in trouble,” said Vinay.
They both went to Ashutosh rented flat.
“I have conclusive evidence to show you have done it,” said Vinay.
Ashutosh became upset. His face was expressionless.
“May I know what proof you have?” asked Ashutosh.
“I cannot show it to you. You may tamper the evidence. Only you can do this. And only you can also erase the trail. And I have spotted you in PicoEMG office many times. You have logged in using Puneet’s login id and changed a file is it?” asked Vinay.
“Oh I see. So that’s why you were checking that day asking me to login using Puneet’s login id to check if I know Puneet’s password. So when did you become a detective? You didn’t tell us about your career change?” asked Ashutosh.
“Remove whatever you have done. Repair the damages. No one needs to know this has ever happened,” said Vinay.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” said Ashutosh.
“Listen to me. Tell me what you did. We will erase everything. No one can find out,” said Vinay.
“Remove what? Repair what?” asked Himesh.
“Oh come on Himesh. Don’t act! You are involved in this. You know everything,” said Vinay.
“Seriously I don’t understand what you are talking about,” said Ashutosh.
“Oh yeah. You are stealing money from Dochamk Bank. You have put funneling code in to the core transaction handler which siphons off money from some transactions. Don’t tell me I don’t know. And now don’t start acting. I have got proof,” said Vinay.
Both Ashutosh and Himesh looked puzzled.
“Yeah sorry can you please explain what you are talking about. I’m sorry to ask you the same question again,” said Ashutosh.
These guys were tough nut to crack thought Vinay. They were acting very well. He had lied he got solid evidence while he still had none to show Ashutosh did it. He tried his best to bring the truth out of Ashutosh’s mouth by persuading him. But it was not working out.
“Ok. Ashutosh, I will explain in detail. You have modified the core transaction handler in CDSTP project to siphon off some amount from certain transactions and used preproduction environment to process the siphoning transaction to avoid any trace in production and used a secret queue to send to production outgoing queue to send it to your own accounts in Dochamk Bank. Is it clear now?” asked Vinay.
A smile formed in Ashutosh’s face. Himesh laughed.
“This is what will happen if anybody becomes a detective. Our new detective or should I say IT detective is telling a story about something I still cannot understand,” said Ashutosh.
“What story is this Vinay? Very interesting,” said Himesh.
Vinay started from the beginning from when Murail forwarded the emails and how he had found money from some transaction were funneled and sent to other accounts within Dochamk Bank.
Ashutosh and Himesh sat relieved.
“I see. So that’s why you thought I’m involved. Well the answer is no. I’m not involved in this. Regarding this file changed using Puneet’s login id, first trace the IP address. If it is static we will know whose PC was used. If it is not static, check with the network team and from the logs find out the MAC address corresponding to the dynamic IP address. Using that MAC address we can then find which PC. Let’s hope we can find out the answer to this. It’s disturbing this has happened,” said Ashutosh.
“Sorry for confronting you like that. I do
n’t have clear evidence to prove who is involved. I’m just eliminating people from my suspect list one by one. I lied to you when I said I had evidence. I thought you will speak out,” said Vinay.
“Really I don’t think I’m capable of doing any such thing. But talking business and getting deals, that is another matter,” Ashutosh blinked at Himesh.
Chapter 24
“So what are you doing in PicoEMG office? Why you both are frequently going there?” asked Vinay.
“That’s a different story man. It’s more of a business deal if I may put it like that,” said Himesh.
Himesh started telling the story from the beginning.
“And so you are the invisible hand changing everything I did. You manipulated the results during the POC time in CDSTP project. No wonder why all my logic and predictions didn’t work as I had expected. You indirectly, without me noticing, set the path for everything I did then. It’s a breach of trust, betrayal,” said Vinay.
Himesh dropped his head low.
“I know what I did is wrong. I know you would never accept my act. But you had become my friend. I thought we could do better. I thought I could reason with you once this is all over. I hoped you would understand once you realize the results,” said Himesh.
“This is a scandal! This is cheating…you lost your respect, professionalism and your integrity. You had been entrusted to judge and decide something for a highly respected firm who blindly believed whatever you had said,” said Vinay.
“You use big words highly respected firm, scandal, cheating. Big words they are,” chimed Ashutosh.
“You, I don’t know whether you spoiled him or he spoiled you! I didn’t expect this from you! You were my role model. What a disappointment!” said Vinay.
“Let me start with your own words…highly respected firm, scandal, cheating. Manipulating effort estimations in the name of SME team, projecting a one-year work as six months work, scandal or cheating? Bullying one person to do the work of two people, scandal or cheating? Forcing someone to do a three days work in one day, scandal or cheating? Making people stretch and work extra hours on weekdays and on Saturdays but bill only nine hours for only weekdays, scandal or cheating? And highly respected firm…the what?” said Ashutosh.
“Who are you to judge? Who are you to say this is scandal and that is not?” said Ashutosh.
“I say if that is not scandal then what we did is not scandal as well,” said Ashutosh.
“Here’s what I get, three million dollars. Each of us will get one share. And Ashutosh will get one share for materializing the business deal. He was instrumental into getting them into the negotiation table. He constantly reminded them the project might be pulled off until it reached Go-live. And then they gave in. They agreed to pay six months after Go-live. Today we will get the money in my account,” said Himesh.
“Listen to me. We don’t need to be treated like slaves by people like Mona and Nitesh. Think of the possibilities this will bring. I did everything for us only,” pleaded Himesh.
“Himesh, check your account. It’s about time,” said Ashutosh.
Himesh logged in to his bank account. They saw the money in his account. Himesh looked at Vinay.
“Give your account numbers. I will transfer now,” said Himesh.
He first transferred to Ashutosh account. Vinay thought about it. He was tempted with the business deal and finally he gave in to the temptation. Himesh transferred the share to Vinay’s account.
“Let’s keep quiet about it and keep a low profile. Don’t start spending everything suddenly,” advised Ashutosh.
Later that day, Vinay contacted the network team and tried to get the MAC address from the IP address. MAC stood for Media Access Control and each MAC address is made of twelve characters. Each PC had a unique MAC address. He searched through the network logs for the IP address to find the corresponding MAC address but could not find the IP address in any of the network logs.
Vinay asked a network person sitting nearby. He did some searches and said that IP address was not assigned to any of the PCs used in Holtezent.
”Why are you wasting time on this? Just inform the operations support team to redeploy everything including the core system files,” said Ashutosh.
“Then how will we find out who did it?” asked Vinay.
“Why don’t we just tell all your findings to the concerned people in the support team and let them work it out?” asked Himesh.
“That’s what I’m thinking now. I’m just going to tell them and then it’s their problem to find out,” said Vinay.
“Take a copy of all your findings and keep it somewhere for future reference,” said Ashutosh.
Vinay took a copy of the account numbers he found in the preproduction and the logs from his debugger. He then immediately sent an email with all the details to the operations manager responsible for the CDSTP operations. Within thirty minutes he got an acknowledgement and was told not to talk about this to anyone. Vinay noticed all of their login ids and access to CDSTP server was locked out.
Usha’s plan was working out. She has tipped her colleagues in Dochamk Bank involved in the GF project to ask for more in the form of cost savings and value additions to the project. Now Mona was told to develop and roll out for two entities every two months. She was told to plan to roll out all twenty entities within two years.
“Two years I have to be here and to lead these incompetent people. I’m just tired of spoon-feeding these guys,” exclaimed Mona from her seat after reading an email from Raghu. She was exhausted and burnt out leading the team. This was not what she had imagined she would end up with as an Architect or a Technical Team Lead.
Mona was no longer in her previous self. She spoke meekly and her voice was less audible. Gone were those authority and commanding tone in her voice. She became weak and humbled.
Shanthi gave a birthday party. She invited every one for lunch to Three C restaurant.
The entire team went for the lunch. They all chitchatted while having lunch. Some took photos using their camera phones.
Vinay saw Puneet frequently leaving his seat and going to some secluded area and talking with somebody on the phone. Vinay wondered with whom he was talking. He thought he might be speaking with his wife.
Vinay saw Anil’s phone rang a few times. He tried to see if anyone familiar to him was calling so that he can inform the person to call after a few minutes as Anil had went to washroom. He saw a name flash on the phone’s screen. It showed “Nitesh”.
Satish gave his debit card to pay the bills for the buffet. He then went to wash his hands. The waiter swiped the card and returned back to the table with the receipt and the card. Satish was not there so he gave the card to Vinay.
Vinay then went to washroom to wash his hands. He overheard Puneet speaking on the phone with someone. He heard familiar words “TeraSMX”. He also heard Puneet whispering to someone, “Yes Shekar I’m working on that”.
Everyone came back to office and continued their work.
Chapter 25
“I now know who is involved in altering the core system files in CDSTP server,” told Vinay to Himesh and Ashutosh.
“Who is it you are suspecting this time? Last time I remember you made a good attempt but failed miserably,” said Ashutosh.
“Who else he sits right there all along,” said Vinay and moved his face towards a cubicle.
“Good guess buddy. Let’s scare him come,” said Himesh.
“Himesh I’m serious. I have proof,” said Vinay.
“See this list of account numbers. See this number that ends with 5555. I saw this in his debit card back side,” said Vinay showed a file with account numbers which he had made a copy before informing the operations manager of CDSTP operations.
“That sounds like money to be made. There are others involved most probably from the bank itself. He might have been used most likely as a pawn to do this configuration,” said Himesh.
“No. We don’t need
any of this money. This is stealing. Where is Satish? Call him and tell him to come to discussion room,” said Vinay.
Himesh called Satish’s mobile number.
“Hi Satish, how are you? Where are you now?” asked Himesh.
“Yes. I’m fine. What’s the matter? I’m in cafeteria,” asked Satish.
“You are in cafeteria? You just now came from lunch from Three C. Oh, never mind. I just called you to discuss a very important thing you know. Nothing to worry I assure you. No problem. You know we can discuss it out and resolve this matter within ourselves. We are open to a share, you know what I mean,” said Himesh.
‘What are you talking about? What matter? What share? I don’t understand anything,” replied Satish.
“Oh yeah cut the crap man. We know what you have done, either cut us a share or you will be in serious trouble,” said Himesh.
“Wait…I will come…we will discuss,” said Satish.
Satish met Himesh, Vinay and Ashutosh in one of the conference rooms.
Vinay told his account number was found in the account number list in preproduction which was used to send the funneling transactions with the siphoned amount. He briefly explained the funneling transactions and that CDSTP operations support team had been already alerted.
Satish started telling his story.
“I’m not involved in doing any of this. I supplied only login ids and passwords to this guy from Dochamk Bank. And once he asked for my account number. He said if everything goes well he will pay me handsomely. I don’t know how my account number got into this. I really I don’t know anything about this. I don’t know who else are involved in this. I received instructions only from this guy,” said Satish.
“So you have assisted in this stealing indirectly with hope of receiving future payment. You have given all our login ids and passwords. No wonder why there were changes done through Puneet’s login id. How cheap of you Satish to do this,” said Vinay.
“Man you should leave this support lead role unless you want to be suspected for anything in future,” added Himesh.
“We will inform our management regarding your involvement. It’s up to them and you to sort it out,” said Ashutosh.
Tech Job 9 to 9 Page 10