33 held in Goa for duping more than 40 people over jobs

Panaji: Police have arrested 33 individuals, including five women, in the past month in Goa for allegedly duping over 40 persons with the promise of government jobs, police said on Saturday.

The arrests were made after investigations into 29 separate cases registered in various police stations in the coastal state, said Director General of Police Alok Kumar.

The 33 accused have collectively cheated the complainants of more than Rs 5 crore, he said.

There are no connections among the arrested accused, the official said. Three of them are involved in multiple cases, while others have been booked “standalone” for cheating.

The accused ensnared their targets by falsely claiming that they had contacts with ministers and top government officials, he said.

When one job fraud case is reported, more victims of similar deceit approach the police, another official said, explaining the arrest of so many people operating in their individual capacities.

Superintendent of Police (South Goa) Sunita Sawant said that across Goa, cops have seized two minibuses, 12 four-wheelers and several two-wheelers from different accused and directed banks to freeze their accounts.

“The total amount involved in all the cases is more than Rs 5 crore,” Sawant said. These frauds had been happening since 2014-15.

The police official said there is no political connection to this scam and the accused – five women and 28 men – were only dropping the names of ministers and senior government officials to impress jobseekers.

“In one case, a complainant was promised a government job across the border in Karwar (Karnataka),” Sawant said.

Superintendent of Police (North) Akshat Kaushal said some of the accused accepted cash, while others got money through online transfers from the victims.

“There is a case at Bicholim police station where a woman was cheated with the promise of a job in Indian railways,” he said.