The Ernakulam North police on Saturday arrested a woman on the charge of cheating job aspirants across the State collectively to the tune of around ₹10 lakh. According to officials, she used to give fake job offers at the Naval Base by impersonating as the wife of a high-ranking naval officer.
Devipriya Babu, 30, of Cherai was arrested on a petition filed by one Nijo George of Vaduthala who was allegedly cheated of ₹70,000 on a fake promise of securing the job of a clerk at the Naval Base. The alleged fraud came to light when he turned up to join duty the other day.
Though the accused claimed that she used to transfer the money to the account of a senior naval officer, the police found it to be false.
According to the police, Devipriya had been committing similar fraud for over a year. A housewife from Thrissur was allegedly cheated to the tune of ₹6 lakh on the promise of securing jobs for both her children. Both of them even vacated their houses at Thrissur after the accused allegedly told them that quarters had been arranged for them on rent at the Naval Base.
They also secured transfer certificates for their children going by the accused’s claim that admission for them had been arranged at Kendriya Vidyalaya.
The police said that in an effort to create an impression that the job offers were genuine, Devipriya got others to rang up the victims, asking them to join duty soon. She would also tell the victims that the money she had taken from them was meant for senior naval officers and union leaders who had used their influence for securing jobs for them.
A few victims verified the job offers with ex-servicemen only to be told that it was indeed possible. This added to the believability of Devipriya’s ploy. The police suspect that more people would have fallen prey to the fraud.
A team led by North Inspector Sibi Tom, Sub Inspector Anas, assistant sub inspector Sreekumar, senior civil police officer Vinod Krishna, woman civil police officer Sunitha, and civil police officers Ajilesh and Sineesh made the arrest.
