Retired professor arrested for forging marksheet after 33 yrs

Chennai: TIMES NEWS NETWORK





A 62-year-old former professor was arrested on Friday , 33 years after tampering with his college marks.

The central crime branch (CCB) of the Chennai city police arrested N Veerappan, a resident of Kadirvedu near Red Hills, based on a complaint of Manjula, joint director of the directorate of physical instruction (DPI) in Nungambakkam.

Based on a specific complaint that landed at the DPI last month, officials scrutinized his certificates, marksheets and found that marks were tampered with in his marksheet.

Based on the complaint, the petition was forwarded to the forgery wing of the CCB for further inquiry . They verified the document and confirmed the same as forged as it mismatched with the master copy in the government records.

Veerappan retired in 2015 as head of the department of Botany in Thiagaraya College in Washermenpet.

He began his career as an assistant professor in the Botany department at the college in 1989. During inquiries, Veerappan confessed to having committed the crime.

A case was registered and Veerappan was reman ded in judicial custody after being produced before the special court for the CCB in Moore Market in the city on Friday .
Veerappan, a native of Chidambaram, studied Masters of Science in Botany under Annamalai University during 1982-1984.

He cleared one paper in his first semester in 1982 and completed two other first year papers in his second semester and subsequently completed three other first year papers .
Veerappan had made changes in his first year marksheet and applied for the post of assistant professor in 1989.

The retired professor has two sons. One is a practising doctor, while the other is working in a leading company.