Mumbai: Twenty-three Indians, including one from Hyderabad, were happy to be back in India on Thursday. Reason? They were among the hundreds who were trapped in Uganda for over two months after they were lured with the promise of a job in the sales sector by a fake online placement agency.
The trap:
The 23 individuals who landed at Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai, had applied for jobs in a company called ‘South Africa Sailing’. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, the 25-year-old graduate from Hyderabad who pleaded anonymity said, “I had applied for a job in this company after seeing an advertisement online. I got a call from a person named Henmant Kamble who guided me through the process for application. He gave me an invitation letter for the said position in Uganda. He also booked my tickets and asked me to reach Entebber airport in Uganda, where I met a person named Vijay Sharma, who took charge upon my arrival.”
He added, “Sharma took me to Hotel Diplomate, were I paid him 25,000 dollars for the job.” A few days later some of the Indian men were taken to start work with the firm. The victim from Hyderabad was staying with others who hailed from Tamil Nadu, Mumbai and Uttarakhand. But as days passed by, with no work in sight they started to panic.
The victims of the job scam were confined to a hotel room for almost a month without any work. Sharma also stopped answering their calls or replying to their messages during this time. They had no money to eat and could only afford a meal of rice a day.
The rescue:
“The men from Mumbai later complained to the local police in Uganda. It was only after the complaint that Ugandan immigration officers visited them and informed the Indian Embassy. Authorities of Indian High Commission, Kampala, recorded their statements and booked tickets for them to Mumbai.
The trauma:
“I didn’t elaborate on the ordeal to my parents. I told them that I didn’t get the job since there were no vacancies in the company. I have not filed a complaint against anyone as I don’t wish to go further with this matter and will happily stay with my family and find another job in Hyderabad”, said the 25-year-old.
The victims comprised 14 men from Tamil Nadu, three from Uttarakhand, three from Mumbai and one each from Karnataka and Hyderabad.
