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57. Having set the parameters, we shall now examine the correctness or otherwise of the decision taken by the authority in cancelling the draw of lots, but before we proceed to do so we must also find out as to whether there was any scope for manipulation in holding the computerised draw of lots by UPDESCO or NOIDA or both of them in collusion with each other.

58. The source code of the software used for conduct of the Draw for the residential scheme 2004(1) is developed in Visual Basic 6.0 IDE which is a database/web application development kit. It is a registered trademark product of Microsoft.

63. All this can result in deft manipulation of data resulting in selection of records of particular choice. In other words, we are compelled to observe that this computerised draw for the plots was subject to manipulation of diverse nature if the officials of NOIDA and UPDESCO colluded with each other.

64. We are conscious of our limitations in attempting to encroach upon an area best reserved for experts in this field but even with the knowledge that we possess relating to this field and from what we have been able to gather from the books, we have no manner of doubt that the database that was created does provide scope for inserting queries for filtering certain records to satisfy certain conditions and that such queries could also be easily removed without affecting the original source-code. Thus, no matter, how emphatically it may be argued that the software was designed to be foolproof but in reality it is the feeding of the data in the database and the bona fides of the persons involved in this process, that is the determining factor. No doubt the data was provided by NOIDA, but the source-code and the database were developed by UPDESCO and, as stated above, data records could easily be manipulated by using simple queries. An unauthorised person may, therefore, not be able to do any manipulation, but the Company which has prepared the source-code and the database can easily manipulate the results by using simple queries for filtering certain records to satisfy certain conditions.