Police on Thursday arrested a 42-year-old man who forged the signature and government seal of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in an attempt to fraudulently obtain a transfer for his friend’s daughter, who is a government school teacher. The suspect was nabbed when he approached authorities of the Directorate of School Education, posing as a reporter.
According to police, Prince Edwin, who runs a desktop publishing firm in Subedar Hussain Street, Royapettah, had drafted a letter dated July 7, 2012 requesting the Chief Minister to grant a transfer to B. Femila, an English teacher with the Muppaiyur Government Higher Secondary School in Sivagangai
Femila’s father and Edwin, both hail from Kattathurai in Kanyakumari. Femila’s father had requested Edwin’s help in enabling his daughter get a transfer to a school in Kattathurai. And so, Edwin drafted the transfer letter and stated that the reason for the request was that Femila was pregnant. He posted the letter to the Directorate of School Education, along with a copy of Femila’s medical certificate and appointment order, police added.
“With the help of his co-worker Murali (43), Edwin forged the CM’s handwriting and signature in green ink in English, ordering the transfer. On Wednesday, he went to the Directorate posing as a reporter of the Dr. Namadhu MGR newspaper and asked the department authorities why the transfer order by the CM hadn’t been passed,” said S. Saravanan, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Nungambakkam.
Suspecting foul play, the authorities alerted the police who arrived and apprehended Edwin. The shop in which Murali made seals was also raided, and computers and fake seals were seized. Murali was also arrested.
Once detained, Edwin asked the police why he had been arrested as his actions had not led the State government to incur any loss. He also claimed that his attempt had brought to the knowledge of the authorities, the need for a transfer which should be granted to the candidate, police added.
