In what appears to be yet another nurses’ recruitment scam, the Kochi city police have launched a probe into the alleged cheating of several Keralite nurses by a Mumbai-based agency by offering jobs abroad.
Officials said the Palluruthy police in West Kochi have registered a complaint based on two persons, allegedly cheated by the Helious Tours and Travels in Mumbai. According to the complainant, the accused agency collected Rs.3 lakh each from them by offering jobs at hospitals in Finland and wound up its operation afterwards.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the agent had cheated over a hundred nurses from different parts of the State over the last few months and mobilised several crores of rupees this way. Majority of the victims are from the Idukky, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts.
As per the complaint, the agency had approached the nurses, employed at various hospitals in Kerala by offering recruitment at hospitals across Europe earlier this year. After conducting interviews, it collected Rs.3 lakh from each of the selected candidates as ‘processing fee’.
Meanwhile, City Police Commissioner M.P. Dinesh said the case would be taken up with his counterpart in Mumbai. “Majority of the victims had attended the interview and handed over money after meeting the agent in Mumbai, which is beyond our jurisdiction. A joint investigation is required in this case,’’ Mr Dinesh said.
Preliminary investigations reveal the agent had cheated over 100 nurses
