Hyderabad: The B.S. Rao group having its office at Amrutha Ville in Somajiguda allegedly duped about 72 youths of about Rs 70 lakh. The agents collected amounts ranging from a lakh to two lakhs from each applicant promising jobs in Switzerland.
The youths, who reached the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Friday to board a flight, realised that they had been cheated. They had neither boarding passes nor visas. The angry youths attacked the agents and handed them over to the police.
About 72 people who had paid money came to the airport early in the morning. Their relatives also had gathered in large numbers to see them off. They were waiting at the airport to board a Muscat-bound flight in which the job agency had claimed to have booked tickets. Though they waited for long, nothing worked out, and when they enquired with airport officials, they understood that they had no tickets, boarding passes or visas to travel in Oman Airlines.
The B.S. Rao group’s MD, B. Durga Pavan and his associates Pranith and Yousuf, from Warangal district who accompanied the youths till the airport reportedly tried to flee. However, they were nabbed, thrashed and handed over to the airport police, who later sent the victims and the accused to the Panjagutta police, under whose jurisdiction the firm falls.
According to the victims who are mostly labourers, the B.S. Rao group promised them jobs as labourers and helpers in pharmaceutical companies dealing with herbal products. They were told that they will have to pluck anti-bacterial herbs for which they would be paid about Rs 1.4 lakh a month.
“I paid about Rs 1.26 lakh in instalments, and they promised me a job in Switzerland. At the time of payment though I asked them to provide me details of passports and visas, they didn't. The MD also claimed that he was the relative of an IAS official,” said Mahesh, a victim.
The victims who are from Warangal, Ranga Reddy, Adilabad, Hyderabad and other places had sold or pledged their property and valuables to pay the firm’s charges. Now they are worried about whether they will get the money back.
“I sold my autorickshaw and paid the fees hoping to secure a job abroad. Now, I am scared whether I will get my money back,” said B. Raju, a Chevella resident, who rushed to the police station after news broke on the television.
He added, “Whenever I asked them to provide contact numbers of persons whom they have already sent, they gave lame excuses.”
Cops suspect the fraudsters had been making such claims since months, but the incident came to light only now.
Two teams have been formed to nab the accused. “We have taken their complaints and registered a case. More victims are expected to lodge complaints. We also have to recover the passports of the victims,” said Mr P.V.R.S.S.S.M.V. Ravi Varma, ACP, Panjagutta division.
