Berhampur: Intriguing Goasinuagaon police in Odisha’s Berhampur district have apprehended three individuals suspected of deceiving job seekers out of lakhs of rupees under the guise of offering employment opportunities in Kenya. The arrests came following a complaint lodged by one Prabhat Dalai (35) on February 5, 2024, at the Gosaninuagaon police station.
According to reports, Dalai asserted that a certain Chandra Mohan Reddy, hailing from Kutharisingh village under Golanthara police limits, had purportedly collected a total of Rs 9,70,000 from 20 candidates. Reddy had allegedly promised these individuals employment in Kenya and demanded an advance payment of Rs 25,000 from each candidate to facilitate the procurement of original passports.
After the stipulated ten days, Reddy furnished the candidates with purported offer letters from Intex Company, further raising their hopes for employment. Subsequently, after another ten days, Reddy purportedly provided tourist visas to 20 candidates. However, when the hopeful job seekers attempted to reach out to Reddy regarding air tickets to Kenya, he purportedly remained unresponsive. Moreover, when they resorted to contacting him through alternate phone numbers, they were met with verbal abuse, aggravating their predicament.
Frustrated by the lack of response and apparent deception, Dalai took matters into his own hands and filed a formal complaint with the police station, urging legal action against Chandra Mohan Reddy. Acting swiftly on Dalai’s complaint, the police registered a case under Sections 420/294 IPC.
Upon investigation, authorities uncovered a pattern of deceit employed by the accused trio. It was revealed that they had duped numerous individuals by offering false assurances of overseas employment, collecting money and passports, and ultimately failing to deliver on their promises. Instead of securing legitimate employment visas, the accused facilitated tourist visas for their victims, further exacerbating the fraud.
The authenticity of the Intex Company, purportedly issuing offer letters, is currently under scrutiny by law enforcement officials. Meanwhile, the arrested individuals have been identified as Chinapani Mohan Reddy (48), Potanapalli Simanchalam (40), and Tadela Dhilleswara Rao (35), hailing from various locations in Andhra Pradesh.
The police have confiscated crucial evidence, including 92 passports, applicant information, screenshots of financial transactions, and 20 tourist visas issued by The Republic of Kenya. The investigation into this elaborate scam is ongoing, with authorities determined to bring the perpetrators to justice and provide relief to the duped job aspirants.
