The aspirants realised they had been cheating after Jain postponed the event three times over the course of the month and finally stopped taking their calls
Representational picture
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These students paid the price for not having a passport, literally. An event management firm allegedly cheated 96 job aspirants under the guise of a temporary assignment at city airport. Saying that the work involved being part of a promotional event for a mobile company, the firm took Rs 1,200 from all applicants not having a passport, claiming that the money was needed as entry charge to the airport and would be refunded after the event. The aspirants have approached the Powai police, which has taken down their complaint but not filed an FIR yet.
The con
Powai resident Kanchan Dhanve, 27, an interior designer, said she saw an ad by the event firm online regarding the assignment. "The woman I spoke to identified herself as Radhika Jain. She said they needed people having passport, and those who didn't would have to pay Rs 1,200 for entry." As Dhanve didn't have a passport she deposited the fee in a bank account given by Jain, along with important documents for making an entry pass.
Jain also told her that they were short of manpower and if she (Dhanve) could bring in more people, she would be paid Rs 300 commission per person. Dhanve, Kanjurmarg resident Jitendra Shahu, 28, and Pooja Rawal, 25, a student, all started going through their contacts to rope in more people. All those taken on for the job and not having passports deposited Rs 1,200.
In the lurch
The aspirants realised they had been cheating after Jain postponed the event three times over the course of the month and finally stopped taking their calls. Dhanve said, "We are more worried about our Aadhaar cards, photos and other documents in the fraudsters' possession." Repeated calls to senior inspector of Powai police station went unanswered.
96
Number of job aspirants cheated
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