Bogus company promises jobs abroad, cheats 400 of over Rs 3 cr in Mumbai

MID-DAY: Around 400 people from all over India have allegedly been cheated to the tune of Rs 3 crore by a bogus placement firm in Andheri. The officials of Delta Solutions Company advertised jobs abroad in newspapers all over India.

After taking Rs 85,000 to Rs 1 lakh from each applicant and giving them fake visas, they asked them to come to Mumbai for flights leaving on December 12. But a day before, the company’s founders vacated the office and fled. An FIR has been registered with the Andheri police and they are looking for the accused. The police said the main accused has been identified as Harish Rathod. He had around five young men and women as accomplices, but police say there might be more. 

How they were duped : 29-year-old Prasoon Prabhakaran, one of the applicants, who is from Kerala, said, “Three months ago, I saw an ad in a newspaper for jobs for the posts of electrician, fitter, welder, driver, security guard, etc. I mortgaged my family’s gold jewellery and paid Rs 1 lakh to the company. For my medical tests, I paid an additional Rs 5,000.

They promised me a welder’s job in Vietnam at a salary of Rs 60,000 per month. I was even given a visa for this.” Another victim, Avinash Bharti (19) from UP, said, “I am a BA student. About three months ago, I saw an advertisement in a newspaper. I applied for the driver’s post.

My friends Rajkumar Prajapati (30) and Jiyavan Kanojia (20) too applied for different posts. Prajapati mortgaged his house while Kanojia mortgaged his ancestral farm. We were to be sent to Singapore.

Our flight was on December 15 and they asked us to come to Mumbai on December 12.” The police said the fraud is to the tine of over R3 crore. There are several victims from Mumbai, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Kerala, Andhra, UP etc.

Police speak
PSI Vasant Sawant of Andheri police station said, “The accused had asked all applicants to come to Mumbai on December 12, but a day before, they emptied the whole office. They even took computers and furniture with them. We recovered documents of more than 400 people from the office.

Around 400 people were cheated. All the victims’ family members and friends had come to see them off. There was a huge protest outside the company’s office in Chakala on December 12. Later, we registered an FIR under Section 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.”

Police Inspector Babasaheb Salunkhe said, “More victims are coming forward everyday and statements are being recorded. The accused have taken all the money from their HDFC and Axis bank accounts.”

Victim speak
I gave them everything that I had. I am very poor. I was expecting a job to help my family, so I gave them the money. - Jiyavan Kanojia, one of the victims

I was asked to come with my baggage on December 12 for a flight to Vietnam. When I saw the office earlier, I could not have imagined that it is a bogus company. Everything appeared so systematic. Their language was so professional and they were friendly. - Prasoon Prabhakaran, one of the victims

The case

•  About three months ago, Delta Solution Company, a bogus placement firm, advertised jobs abroad in regional language and English newspapers all over India

•  After taking Rs 1 lakh from each applicant and giving them fake visas, the officials of the company asked them to come to Mumbai for flights leaving on December 12

•  However, the firm’s officials vacated the office and fled on December 11. They also withdrew all the money in their bank accounts 

•  The accused dumped 40 passports in a postbox at the Andheri (West) post office.

•  Police say several people from Mumbai, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Kerala, Andhra and UP, among others, have been cheated