Two women from Tamil Nadu, who were allegedly cheated by a gang that promised them and six others lucrative jobs in Fiji, are stuck in the country without money. They have sought help from the Centre to return home.
Six of them have managed to return. One of the women lodged a complaint with Commissioner A.K. Viswanathan on Monday. It has been forwarded to the Central Crime Branch.
According to Priya (name changed), the complainant, in October 2017, a male colleague of hers at a Mamallapuram-based resort introduced her and seven others to a woman, who promised them lucrative jobs at a new restaurant that she said she was opening in Fiji with her partner.
The women were asked to pay ₹3 lakh for the job and the men were required to pay ₹4 lakh.
They were told to pay ₹1 lakh in advance for tickets and other documentation. They were also told that it would be a two-year contract and they would earn ₹50,000 per month plus perks.
“Trusting her [the accused], the candidates pledged their jewels to arrange for the money. Later, we realised it was a fraud,” said Ms. Priya.
A total of 30 youngsters from Tamil Nadu reportedly paid the money. But the accused said that she would initially take only eight persons, and the remaining later.
On tourist visa
In February, when the group finally met the woman at the airport, they realised that they were being taken on a tourist visa and that only on reaching Fiji would they get work permits. “She posed as a tourist guide before Indian immigration officials and introduced us as tourists. She told the same lie to immigration officials in Fiji,” she added.
However, after a few days, the Fiji immigration officials nabbed the group when they came to know that they had come for work.
“The woman was deported and our passports were seized. She promised to help us out once she reached India. But she kept evading us by changing numbers,” she explained.
The job aspirants were given groceries by a man who introduced himself as the accused’s business partner. “From February till June, six candidates managed to return to India as their well-wishers paid for their tickets. But two girls, Abhinaya and Nancy, are still stuck there,” she added.
“They are running out of groceries and supplies,” Ms. Priya said.
