IT firm forges documents
2 Sep 2007, 0042 hrs IST,N D Shiva Kumar,TNN
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BANGALORE: How far would one go to get a `preferred vendor' tag from
the government? In this case, a tech firm forged and issued fake
government orders in the name of the secretaries of the information
and biotechnology department, as well as the DPAR and e-governance
department.

The firm in question is Suchi Infotech Ltd at Seshadripuram, which is
into the sales of computer peripherals, biometrics, access control
systems, smart cards, etc. If a company gets a `preferred vendor'
tag, then it automatically qualifies as the first choice for
purchases when any government department wants to buy materials (in
this case, computer-related).

The copies of the fake circulars have been sent to 39 department
heads, including principal secretaries. A circular (ITD 06 PRM 2007,
dated March 30, 2007), which has been prepared in the name of IT and
BT secretary M N Vidyashankar, reads: "Suchi Infotech is registered
under the government order of Karnataka as an operational information
technology development industry. M/s Suchi Infotech is eligible for
all the applicable concessions and is entitled to participate in the
tenders of the government of Karnataka."

Another circular dated March 29, 2007, forged in the name of the DPAR
and E-governance secretary, says: "Under the provisions of the Vendor
Act of 1987, by virtue of their fulfilment of e-governance and on
scrutiny of their special application, Suchi Infotech have been
empanelled as a most preferred vendor to supply products under the
head of computer peripherals (others) namely biometrics, access
control system, smart cards, etc. Suchi Infotech may participate in
all government tenders as a preferred vendor."

The IT and BT department officials smelt a rat as the department's
address in the circular was wrong. From January 2006, the department
has been functioning from the MS Building, but the address on the
circular read UNI Building, Thimmaiah Building. Added to this, the
signature did not match that of Vidyashankar.

However, officials of both the departments realised the fraud and
lodged complaints with the Vidhana Soudha police against the owner of
Suchi Infotech Ltd in May-end. But the police are yet to make any
breakthrough in the case.
"A man from Hyderabad, Hari Prasad, is said to be behind all this. We
will know more once we catch him," police said.
shivakumar.nd@timesgroup.com