G. Arumugam, 31, who falsely claimed to be a trainer associated with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and was at the centre of the tragic death of a college student during an unauthorised disaster preparedness drill, was a familiar face in several private colleges across the State. According to the police, he had even earned the nickname ‘Disaster’ Arumugam through his work.
In some of these colleges, his “theory” and “practical” sessions on disaster management were organised every year.
That he was an impostor came to light when undergraduate student N. Logeswari, 19, died in a mishap during one such drill at the Kovai Kalaimagal College of Arts and Science here on Thursday.
“He targeted low-profile private colleges. Arumugam used to approach colleges, claiming to be an accredited trainer of the NDMA in Tamil Nadu. Over the years, he became a familiar face in such colleges, and some of these institutions even referred him to other educational institutions for conducting training programmes,” said a senior police officer.
Arumugam, who was arrested on Friday, told his interrogators that he had conducted 1,467 disaster management sessions at various private colleges across the State since 2011. The man, who had used the NDMA as an affix in his Facebook user name, had also mentioned in a micro blogging site that he had started a new job as a trainer with the NDMA in 2011.
“We are yet to confirm how much money he had earned from the training programmes over the years,” said Coimbatore Rural SP Pa. Moorthy.
The investigation revealed that Arumugam never charged fees for the training sessions, but did charge ₹50 per person for a “participation certificate”.
“He used to tell students that the certificate would come in handy to get grace marks in the TNPSC examinations. He lured those who were attending his training into becoming his assistants for a meagre remuneration. He also promised them that the stint could get them jobs in the NDMA in the future,” said another investigator, wondering how so many institutions placed their trust in a person with no credentials for seven years.
Arumugam told the police that he started his career as a helper in an educational institution. The police are yet to verify his educational qualifications and the “source of inspiration” behind his decision to work as an “NDMA trainer” for a living.
