SINGAPORE – Feeling overwhelmed by her workload, a lawyer delayed working on her clients’ deputyship applications, and realised later that medical reports linked to them had expired.

Instead of approaching the two male clients for fresh medical reports, Banupriya Ravichandran, who was then working for K K Lee Law Corporation, forged two orders which were purportedly from the Family Justice Courts (FJC) and the men then submitted the documents in their application for grants.

Separately, she also forged the title of a flat which a third client later submitted to the Housing Board.

On Oct 2, Banupriya, 34, was sentenced to two years’ jail after she pleaded guilty to three counts of forgery.

The Singaporean’s particulars could not be found following a search on lawyers on the Ministry of Law website on Oct 3.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Wong Shiau Yin said that between 2018 and 2019, two clients – identified in court documents as V1 and V2 – approached Banupriya for help with their deputyship applications.

A deputyship allows an individual to manage the affairs of another person who has lost his or her mental capacity.

The court heard that V1 wanted to appoint himself as a deputy for his son, while V2 wanted to appoint himself as a deputy for his aunt.

During an engagement with the two men, Banupriya obtained the medical reports of the persons lacking mental capacity, which was a requirement for the filing of deputyship applications.

The medical reports had a validity period of six months from the date of issuance.

DPP Wong said that If the reports were to expire, Banupriya would have to request for fresh medical reports from her clients.

The DPP added: “As the accused felt overwhelmed by her workload...she delayed working on the deputyship applications. As a result of the delays, the accused subsequently realised that the medic...