Coimbatore disaster drill: Inquiry report submitted, fake trainer's acquaintance held

Ashok, who helped R Arumugam get a fake certificate of the National Disaster Management Authority, was picked up for questioning.

(L-R) In this screengrab from a video, Logeshwari is seen being forced to jump from the second floor of her college in Coimbatore during a mock drill; Deceased Logeshwari.

COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore Rural police have arrested one Ashok, a resident of Erode, for allegedly helping disaster management ‘trainer’ G Arumugam get fake certificates and get in touch with colleges to conduct mock safety drills.

They have also taken one Dhamodharan into custody for questioning. Three others, Sathish, Gopalakrishnan and Vinitha, who were working with Arumugam, have also been secured for questioning.

The Alanthurai police had arrested Arumugam on Thursday night following the death of 19-year-old N Logeshwari during a mock drill he had organised. They have booked him under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 304 (ii) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).

Police questioning revealed that Arumugam was an imposter. He had been conducting mock drills in Erode, Tirupur and Coimbatore districts for over three years with Ashok’s help.

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“Ashok was supplying water bottles to colleges in these districts. The two first met three years ago, during a fire safety awareness programme in Erode. Arumugam sought Ashok’s help to find colleges where he could conduct mock drills, for which he promised Ashok Rs 2,000 per college. Though he knew that Arumugam was a conman, Ashok put him in touch with colleges in the three districts,” said a police official.

In the recent incident in Narasipuram, one Damodharan had approached Ashok, through whom Arumugam went to the college.

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“Dhamodharan did not know that Arumugam was a conman. But as Ashok knew that he was a conman and had helped him in getting various fake certificates, we will book only Ashok,” the official added.

Meanwhile, Arumugam was remanded after being produced in a Judicial Magistrate court on Saturday.
The police have filed a petition seeking seven days custody of Arumugam for further questioning and investigation. The court will take up the custody petition on Monday.

The police have also sealed Arumugam’s office in Vandalur, near Chennai. “After we get the custody of Arumugam, we will take him to the office to collect the evidence available there,” said a police official. Logeswari died when Arumugam pushed her down from the second floor during a drill.

Rs 2,000 per college was the cut for Ashok. Arumugam met Ashok, who used to supply water to some colleges, and convinced him to help him land gigs to organise mock safety drills at institutions.