The City Crime Branch police have registered a case against the then Chief Educational Officer, three District Educational Officers and 10 headmasters for allegedly “misappropriating funds” meant for organising a function here last year.
According to the complainant, Bramma, an advocate, the Department of School Education celebrated the valedictory of State-level inter-school individual competitions at Sarah Tucker Girls’ Higher Secondary School in Palayamkottai on October 26, 2013, after collecting contributions from the students of government and aided schools and donations from private and matriculation higher secondary schools here.
Funds were also raised through a souvenir released on the occasion. “Though the then Chief Educational Officer K. Jeyakannu replied to my query raised through the Right to Information Act that they had printed 1,000 souvenir copies, enquiries with the department revealed that they had printed only 100 copies while they had mobilised over Rs 16 lakh through advertisements printed in the souvenir,” Mr. Bramma alleged.
The complainant also said the officials had persuaded private matriculation higher secondary managements to contribute by making arrangements for the function such as stage decoration, flex banners, food, reservation of hotel rooms for higher officials from Chennai, ‘chenda melam’, etc.
“Since the officials could not provide accounts for Rs 37 lakh, I filed a complaint with the police. After the CEO and others refused to appear before the police for enquiry, the City Crime Branch registered the case against Mr. Jeyakannu, the then District Educational Officers Dora, Padma and Vasanthi, Inspector of Matriculation Schools Bala and 10 headmasters on Friday,” Mr. Bramma said.
The police have registered the case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.
