Hyderabad: A hotel management graduate from Uppal, Hyderabad, was duped with the lure of a job aboard.
The victim Prem Kumar, 30, was introduced to the scam by his friend Kranthi, who lives in Singapore. Kranthi told him that a man named Veerabadram was offering jobs in the UK. Soon Prem was contacted by another man named Mani Kanta, who is based in Hyderabad.
Talking to Deccan Chronicle, Prem said, “Mani and Veerabadram promised me a job in the hospitality industry in the UK. They convinced me to accept a Tier-II visa, which allows me to travel to the country and work as a caretaker. They told me that I could shift to a hospitality job once I was in the UK.”
“I trusted them as my friend suggested them. To send me abroad, my parents borrowed money from relatives and even sold out house. We paid them Rs 24 lakh.”
In June 2023, Prem travelled to the UK but an agency he was directed to did not give him a job. “I struggled to survive in a foreign land with no money and food. They used to cook once in three days and hardly offered me any food. I used to sleep in a corner with no proper bedding. My visa only allowed me to work as a caretaker, so I could not work legally anywhere else. I then started taking up odd jobs illegally at construction sites just to survive.”
Veerabadram reportedly harassed him to do household chores. Prem was then offered a place to stay, but he could not depend on them for too long. The situation worsened when Veerabadram ignored his calls and messages.
Eventually, Prem and his parents decided that it was best for him to come back. He returned to the city in May, borrowing money to book his ticket. He has since filed a complaint with the Uppal police.
