The Eloor police have arrested one more person in connection with the two cases they had registered for what is fast emerging as a major job visa racket that usurped lakhs of rupees from job aspirants in the State and outside.
The arrested is Modi K.M. aka James, 39, of Thrissur. He was nabbed from Delhi by a team led by Sub Inspector Unnikrishnan on Wednesday. He was produced in court and remanded on Thursday.
The police had earlier arrested two persons — Bejoy, 32, and Jithu, 34, — in connection with the case. They are accused of visa fraud in the guise of a career guidance firm and are suspected to be agents of Modi who operated out of Delhi.
“The number of petitioners is rising all the while and has touched 40. We registered two cases based on six complaints and are now planning to register separate cases by clubbing together three or four complaints. They accused had promised the victims, who paid upwards of ₹2 lakh, lucrative jobs mainly in European destinations. They either never arranged visa or hoodwinked them by arranging visiting visas leaving the victims staring at imminent deportation,” said Eloor police sources.
Some victims had paid money two years ago but were made to wait citing disruption caused by the pandemic. The latest incident of cheating had taken place as recently as six months ago.
The accused had allegedly cheated P.K. Fasaludheen from Manjummal by giving him a visiting visa after usurping ₹5.80 lakh from him promising a job in Australia. He claimed to have initially deposited ₹30,000 in the account of one Sanju who was allegedly an agent of Modi and ₹5.50 lakh in the account of Modi himself in four separate lots.
“I was turned away from the Chennai airport warning that I faced imminent deportation if I proceeded to Australia on that visa. When I complained, I was made to stay in Delhi by Modi on the promise to arrange the visa. But it never happened,” said Fasaludheen. He added that the three others named in his petition were allegedly agents of Modi.
The police suspect that more accused may be involved, and more complaints are likely to come up. They have charged the accused under IPC Section 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) Section 406 (criminal breach of trust), and Section 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).
