Pune: Four Arrested For Scamming Over 200 Job Seekers With False Promises Of Jobs In London
Pune: Two Youths Duped Of ₹4.8 Lakh With Fake Army Job Promise
Pimpri-Chinchwad police have arrested four individuals for duping over 200 people with false promises of jobs, permanent visas, and residences in London, amassing a total of ₹16.14 lakh. The fraudulent activities occurred between August 2020 and June 2024 at Purnanagar in Chinchwad, according to police officials.
The accused—Kiritkumar Kanahiyalal Patel (43), his wife Kajal Pragada (35), his second wife Shilpaben Patel (40), and their accountant Gajanan Bhaskar Deshpande (42) from Ashti—were booked by Chikhali police on Saturday. The complaint was filed by Shwetank Rajendra Shinde (28) from Alandi.
Shinde met Kiritkumar Patel before the Covid-19 pandemic, when Patel claimed he needed hundreds of young individuals to fill high-paying jobs in London. Patel showed documents purportedly from a London-based company to build trust. Each youth was asked to pay ₹1 lakh as a token amount, with the promise of a refund upon confirmation of their visas and completion of formalities.
However, after collecting a total of ₹16.14 lakh, the accused began avoiding Shinde and the other victims. When the frustrated victims confronted Patel to demand their money back, they discovered that he and his associates had absconded, and their mobile phones were unreachable.
An FIR has been registered based on the complaint filed by Shinde and 10-15 other victims. The police have booked the accused under sections 406, 420, and 34 of the BNS (IPC). The investigation revealed that the accused had targeted over 250 unemployed individuals from various regions, including Satara, Kolhapur, Sangli, and Pune. The number of victims is expected to increase as the investigation progresses.
Police are continuing their efforts to locate and apprehend the absconding accused.
