After clearing his Class 10 exam he enrolled for a diploma course and failed the final exam, but Bangalore resident R Nandan, 33, owed his Rs 24-lakh per annum job with IT giant IBM to his other ‘qualification’ as master of forgery.
And it would have been business as usual, had Nandan not quarrelled with the golden goose he used to hatch his golden plan — wife Latha.
According to Bangalore police commissioner, Jyothiprakash Mirji, shortly after his aborted stint at MEI Polytechnic College, Nandan joined a BPO in 2004. There he met Latha, a BCom graduate, and within a year they got married.
Latha was well aware of her husband's qualifications (or lack thereof), and he had assured her he would take correspondence courses to upgrade his resume.
Nandan kept his promise, but did not disclose to his wife the means he adopted.
He took Latha’s marksheets — Class 12 as well as graduation — replaced her name with his, and got photocopies attested by a notary. Using the forged documents, Nandan got himself the job of a manager with Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2005, where he worked for three years.
In 2007, Nandan used the fake documents again to get admission in IIM-Kozhikode, where he did a short-term management course. And this time he cleared the exam.
{{/usCountry}}In 2007, Nandan used the fake documents again to get admission in IIM-Kozhikode, where he did a short-term management course. And this time he cleared the exam.
{{/usCountry}}He joined a BPO, Amicorp, in 2008, where he served as director (marketing) till 2011, before moving on to IBM the same year.
According to police, Nandan was good at his job. HP, IBM and IIM-Kozhikode did not respond to e-mails, and Amicorp could not be reached for comments.
All the time, Latha remained oblivious to the goings on.
It was only when cracks appeared in the marriage, and Latha went back to her parental home with her certificates, that Nandan's honeymoon ended.
Latha, who embarked on a job hunt this month, got her long-forgotten certificates out. And that is how she came to discover Nandan's forgery.
She filed an FIR charging Nandan with cheating and fraud. He was arrested on July 9 and is currently in judicial custody.