45 Telangana youths scammed by Gulf agent on pretext of providing jobs

NIZAMABAD: Youths from Nizamabad, Nirmal and Jagtial districts are complaining that an agent from the Gulf cheated them by falsely promising to provide them jobs in well-known organisations in Dubai, Bahrain, Afghanistan and other countries. The agent forged fake visas, travel tickets and offer letters as part of the con.

He took huge amounts of money from 45 people and has not yet returned it. The affected youths, led by Telangana Gulf Welfare Association president P Basanth Reddy, went to the District Collector’s office here on Monday and made a representation to the Collector. They also met the Commissioner of Police and Deputy Commissioner of Police.

According to D Dayanand, P Avinash — a native of Mamidipally of Armoor mandal — collected amounts between `50,000 and `1 lakh from each of the 45 victims before the lockdown. In return, he assured that he would provide them jobs with a monthly salary of around `1 lakh in Gulf countries.

After the lockdown, he called some of the victims to an airport, where he handed over fake documents, including offer letters, visas and travel tickets. After several days, when the youths did not get any jobs, they demanded their money back.

Avinash agreed to return the money and gave them his passport and two post-dated cheques of `4.50 lakh and `12.10 lakh as guarantees. When Avinash again failed to return the money, the youths lodged a complaint against him at Armoor police station. The police advised them to take the legal route and they then decided to approach the district officials for justice.

‘Sold mangalsutra to arrange money’ Several youths said that they arranged for the money by selling their wives’ mangalsutras or by borrowing money on high interest rates