In a troubling case of deceit driven by personal turmoil, Barath Gopal, a 29-year-old security financing operation analyst, was fined $4,000 after pleading guilty to forging a death certificate in an attempt to secure paid compassionate leave from work.
The incident occurred in November 2023, following a painful breakup when Gopal’s girlfriend cheated on him, leaving him distraught and unable to concentrate on his job., according to report.
Despite having over four days of annual leave available, Gopal chose to fabricate a story about his grandfather’s alleged death, claiming that he needed to take compassionate leave from November 8 to November 10.
Gopal’s supervisor approved his leave request but asked him to provide a death certificate.
In a bid to avoid suspicion, he claimed he could only obtain the document after his father returned from India. In a desperate move, Gopal contacted a relative of a deceased friend and requested a copy of the friend’s death certificate, stating he needed it for his absence from work to attend the funeral.
Gopal then forged a death certificate for his grandfather using his laptop, sending a photo of a portion of the document to his supervisor while intentionally omitting the bottom section that included a QR code for verification. Under continued pressure from his supervisor, he ultimately submitted the entire forged document.
The deception came to light, leading Gopal to resign from his position in December 2023, aware that his fraudulent actions would soon be exposed.
The prosecution, representing the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority—which is responsible for issuing death certificates—sought a fine of $4,000 to $5,000, highlighting that the company incurred a loss of nearly $500 in wages due to Gopal’s fraudulent paid bereavement leave, the ST report added.
Under Singaporean law, individuals found guilty of forging a death certificate can face fines of up to $10,000, imprisonment for up to 10 years, or both. Gopal pleaded guilty to one count of forging a document with the intent to commit fraud, resulting in the imposed fine.
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