Chennai: The central crime branch on Friday arrested a 58-year-old woman for allegedly cheating people of Rs 36 lakh promising them government jobs in railways and in educational institutions. A victim from Mannargudi in Tiruvarur district, A. Sebastian (44), recently approached the Chennai police commissioner’s office claiming to be cheated by a woman who promised him jobs as TTE and khalasi in railways.

Investigation revealed that the suspect, M. Fathima is also wanted in a case of abetment to suicide of one of her acquaintances in Tiruvallur district. She was stated to be absconding for more than a year. A special team picked her up from her hideout at Sathyamurthy Nagar in Vyasarpadi on Friday. A native of Udumalpet, in Coimbatore district, Fathima initially was a real estate broker before brokering for government jobs.

“Fathima along with Raj Mannar of Mannadi was supplying labourers for sub-contractors in railways and was making commission out of it,” said a police officer. In the course of the job, she got acquainted with Sugumaran of Veppampattu, in Tiruvallur district. “She told him that she can get jobs in railways and asked him to refer people to her,” the officer added.

Subsequently, on Sugumaran’s insistence, aspirants gave Rs1.5 lakh–Rs2 lakh for the jobs. To win their confidence, Fathima took bio-data, photographs and other required documents from them, the police said.The cheated persons started pestering Sugumaran and his family. Following this, on February 18 last year, Sugumaran committed suicide along with his family, leaving behind a suicide note at his residence at Veppampattu. Fathima had obtained anticipatory bail and was absconding before the police arrested her on Friday.