Temporary employee held for misappropriating PTA funds of government school in Ernakulam

KOCHI: A temporary employee of a prominent government school in Ernakulam has been arrested for allegedly misappropriating PTA funds by forging the principal’s signature. The accused, who was appointed by the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), is said to have carried out the fraud on multiple occasions. Based on a complaint filed by the school principal, the Kochi City Police arrested the employee, identified as Sherina, a native of Kozhikode who is currently residing in Ernakulam. She allegedly misappropriated around Rs 4 lakh from the PTA account.

The fraud came to light when the high school headmistress visited a bank with a cheque to withdraw money for students’ needs and was informed that there were insufficient funds in the account. A subsequent inquiry revealed that cheques worth nearly Rs 4 lakh had been encashed earlier. Bank officials confirmed that the cheques were encashed by the temporary employee on multiple occasions.

The headmistress then brought the matter to the notice of the higher secondary principal, following which a formal complaint was filed. A case has been registered against the accused for cheating using forged documents.

According to the police, Sherina encashed seven cheques between October and December last year. She was arrested on Wednesday. Investigators suspect that the fraud may have been committed under pressure or threats from another person, and this angle is also under investigation.

Sherina was appointed at the school two years ago on the initiative of the PTA and was handling PTA-related work as well as office duties. Her workspace was located close to the principal’s office, and she was familiar with the storage of cheques and important documents. Police said the cheques were allegedly submitted and the money withdrawn during her visits to the bank for school-related purposes. Efforts are reportedly being made to repay the amount and settle the case. The police are also investigating whether any other school staff members had a role in the fraud.