Kerala: Police to get custody of four accused today

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The special police team constituted to probe the building number fraud in the city corporation will receive the custody of four persons, who have been arrested in connection with the fraud, on Tuesday. They will be in custody for four days.
While the police could arrest two data entry operators and found that they used devices from remote locations for data entry, verification, approval and detailed questioning will only lead to further information.
As of now, both the city corporation and the police have no technical information to establish that the arrested persons were actually involved in the final process; digital signature.
According to corporation officials, IKM software would give details regarding the number ID, log in and the time of data entry, verification and approval, but it cannot furnish information on the exact system/device used to enter these details.
None of the IKM officials have been willing to comment regarding this matter so far. IKM executive director is away on an official assignment, a staff with IKM said.
The internal probe team of the city corporation has also reported that only the system used for issuing the digital signature could be tracked using the IKM software. But the devices used for the initial processes could not be tracked. The cybercell has also sought these details and is yet to receive a response from the IKM, despite reminders.
While the same lapses were misused by the staff in Kozhikode corporation, LSG minister M V Govindan while responding to a query on fraud in the Kozhikode corporation gave a rather curious reply in the assembly on July 15.
He said that there were no lapses in the software but loopholes in the software were abused for the fraud.
The police are likely to include the revenue officer, who held the password for issuing the digital signature, in the list of the accused. According to the investigating officers, it was a grave oversight on the part of the revenue officer not to have shown enough vigil in keeping the password secure.
While mayor Arya Rajendran reiterated that all the processes were done in five minutes on a single day and the fact that two persons who were arrested acted remotely further add to the confusion.
Digital signature is enabled in one system at the main office and whether two other data entry operators completed the final step along with routine work or had colluded with the arrested persons also needs to be ascertained.