Placement firm owner detained for duping techies with job promises

Pune: The Hinjewadi police on Thursday detained the founder and director of a recruitment firm for questioning, a day after registering a case against her for allegedly cheating five software engineers by promising them jobs.

The action followed a complaint by a 28-year-old software engineer from Beed and his four friends, who alleged that they were collectively duped of Rs 7.60 lakh by the firm on job promise. Based on the complaint, the police registered a case under sections 316 (criminal breach of trust) and 318 (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Sub-inspector Walmik More of the Hinjewadi police said the complainant had approached the firm in March, where the accused allegedly promised him placement at a reputed software company. “He was initially asked to pay a commission of Rs 50,000, but the accused allegedly collected Rs 2.10 lakh from him on various pretexts,” More said.

The officer said the complainant’s four friends also paid a total of Rs 5.50 lakh for job placements. “When none of them received the promised jobs despite repeated follow-ups, they demanded refunds. After failing to recover their money, they approached us,” More said.

The sub-inspector said preliminary investigations suggested that at least 20 candidates might have been cheated by the firm. “The accused has been detained and is currently being questioned,” he added.