Man defrauded of over ten lakh rupees in fake government job scheme

A job placement fraud case has been registered at Kotwali Nagar police station in Gonda district after allegations that two men extorted over ten lakh rupees from a local resident by promising government jobs to his family members. The complainant, Riyaz Ahmad Siddiqui, has alleged that both accused remain at large despite the registration of the case and has raised concerns about possible collusion between the suspects and police.

Riyaz Ahmad Siddiqui, a resident of Patel Nagar in Gonda, filed a complaint against Karan Verma and his associate Anoop Kumar Pandey, accusing them of taking money on the pretext of securing government positions. According to the allegations, the two men presented themselves as influential individuals with connections in government departments and assured Siddiqui that they could arrange jobs for his brothers in the health department and water corporation, as well as a position for his sister in the education department.

The complaint states that over different dates, the accused transferred a total of 10.25 lakh rupees into their bank accounts from Siddiqui. To arrange the substantial sum, Siddiqui was forced to sell his ancestral land and mortgage family jewellery. The accused had given assurances that if the jobs did not materialize, the entire amount would be refunded to him.

According to the allegations, the appointment-related documents provided by the accused later turned out to be fake, forged and misleading. When Siddiqui began demanding the return of his money, he was allegedly threatened with death, closure of his shop, and warned of serious consequences. The complainant has stated that he possesses WhatsApp chat records, call recordings and other electronic evidence to support his allegations.

As per the complaint, the accused have so far returned 4.02 lakh rupees, leaving an outstanding amount of 6.22 lakh rupees still unpaid. Based on these allegations, Kotwali Nagar police have registered a case against Karan Verma and Anoop Kumar Pandey, along with other unknown associates.

Riyaz Ahmad Siddiqui has alleged that both the accused have collusion with the police, which is why they have not been arrested even after the case was registered. However, this allegation could not be independently verified. The complainant has demanded from police officers the immediate arrest of the accused, investigation of their bank accounts and properties, and recovery of the remaining amount.

Siddiqui has also expressed apprehension that the accused may have similarly defrauded other people in the same manner. Following the registration of the case, police have launched an investigation into the matter, while the arrest of the accused is still awaited.

The case highlights the vulnerability of job seekers who fall prey to fraudsters making false promises of government employment. The complainant's decision to sell ancestral property and mortgage jewellery underscores the desperation that such fraudsters exploit. The possession of digital evidence including communication records may prove crucial as the investigation proceeds.