Jajpur, April 10: A youth was arrested by Dharmasala police today for forging an official letterhead and signature of a ruling party legislator.

According to the police, the local Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA, Kalpataru Das, in his letter to AJ Toll, a Mumbai-based company, had recommended appointment of 12 persons for a toll plaza project on National Highway (NH) — 5(A) at Srirampur village of Jajpur district.

But the company authorities received another letter, purportedly signed by the MLA, in which one name had been changed.

Suspecting that something was not right, the project manager of the company concerned tried to verify the authenticity of the letter and contacted the legislator.

When the MLA came to know about the incident, he filed a complaint with the police. “In fact, I had sent an email to the company head office recommending appointment of 12 persons for the toll plaza project. I was surprised when the company authorities told me that I had sent a second letter with a name deleted and replaced by another one. So, I lodged a complaint with police,” Das said.

“A case of cheating and forgery has been registered against the accused and we are examining the matter,” said Suvendu Kumar Sinha, inspector-in-charge of Dharmasala police station.

The accused reportedly confessed to his crime and said he did it for money.

Mishra revealed that he had procured the forged letter carrying the signature of the legislator from a kiosk at Chandikhole.

“We have seized the computer, scanner and printer from the kiosk where the forged letter was printed. The computer and other gadgets are being examined by computer experts,” said the sub-divisional police officer, Jayaram Satpathy.

Further investigation is on and Mishra’s involvement in more such cases is being probed, he added.

The accused was produced in the court of the judicial magistrate first class at Chandikhole and remanded to judicial custody after his bail plea was rejected.