Conman Sanjay Rai alias Sanjay Sherpuriya duped over 15,000 job aspirants

LUCKNOW: Conman Sanjay Rai alias Sanjay Sherpuriya, who was arrested on April 26 from Vibhuti Khand area of Gomtinagar in Lucknow, by Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UPSTF) on the charges of duping businessmen of crores of rupees, also allegedly tricked unemployed youths on pretext of offering them jobs. He is on a six-day police remand.
Sources in the STF said that they have found records of as many as 15,000 people who were allegedly duped by Rai on pretext of government jobs.
The accused allegedly tricked people by pretending to have access to the government and senior bureaucrats.
According to sources, Sherpuriya had shared photos with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, deputy Chief Minister Keshav Maurya and Union minister Anurag Thakur besides other dignitaries.
He has been booked under the charges of IPC's sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery for cheating) as well as under the provisions of the IT Act.
"Sherpuriya misguided job aspirants by telling them that a certain government department has got class 3 and class 4 vacancies and he could help them in landing these jobs," said sources in the STF.
The STF also added that he used to charge a petty sum of Rs 2,500-Rs 5,000 depending upon the job and told the youths that the amount was meant to be for registration purpose or allotment of seat before an interview.
Senior officials in the STF added that he kept the amount low so that financial agencies and police do not doubt and the innocent who paid did not raise hue and cry after they were duped.
Sources in the STF said that he had formed a company, Kandla Energy and Chemical, in Gujarat which was blacklisted for money laundering and tax evasion in 2017.
A senior officer said that they will question the said firm.
Sources in the STF added that Sherpuriya's firm, Youth Rural Entrepreneur Foundation (YREF), allegedly has retired IAS, IPS and armed forces' officers on its advisory board.
STF sources added that all the companies which donated money to YREF will be traced and the STF will find out what all activities were carried out by the accused using this money.