About 15 Goan job-seekers duped by Thane gang of cheats

MUMBAI/PANAJI: About 15 Goans who had paid varying amounts ranging from Rs 10,000/- to Rs 50,000 to avail of jobs in the Railways to a group based in Maharashtra’s Thane district have been allegedly duped.

According to a PTI report, an offence was registered against seven persons for allegedly cheating two job-seekers of Rs 6.85 lakh in Maharashtra’s Thane district, police said on Tuesday.

Digging further in this case, it has come to light that some members of the same group of con artists have duped about 15 Goan job-seekers through their relatives or family members residing in Goa, in the hope of getting ‘Railway jobs’.

The job offers were advertised through various WhatsApp groups both in Maharashtra and Goa.

Apparently, the fraudsters contacted their relatives or family members living in Navi Mumbai, Thane and Mumbai suburbs and offered them ‘permanent jobs’ on payment of some processing ‘fees’. The exact amount and other details of the case – which was swindled from the Goan job-seekers is under investigation

As per the the news report, the accused persons, four of them women, had allegedly demanded and accepted Rs 6.85 lakh from the family of two men who were seeking employment in the Railways between June and August 2022, an official said. The accused provided fake joining letters and other documents, he said.

A case under sections 417 (cheating), 465 (forgery) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code was registered in this regard.