Last updated: December 19, 2022, 5:18 PM IST
A non-bailable warrant (NBW) has been issued against the duo (Representative Image)
The gang conducted interviews to gain the trust of the job seekers and later issued fake letters of appointment to select a few
Police have arrested two members of a gang that set up an office of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) in a rented building in Mahanagar for carrying out a bogus recruitment campaign for the FCI since last year.
The gang conducted interviews to gain the trust of the job seekers and later issued fake letters of appointment to select a few. But before those receiving letters of appointment realized they had been duped, the gang packed up the entire setup and fled.
Police managed to arrest two gang members, Neeraj Pandey and Jitendra Kailash, after a year of electronic surveillance from the overpass near Nishatganj on Sunday.
A non-bailable warrant (NBW) has been issued against the duo.
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Police said it all started when one Manish Kumar Rai filed an FIR on June 14, 2021 alleging that the arrested duo had taken Rs 1.75 crore under the pretext of taking a job at FCI.
The police said Manohar Rai, Aryan Anand, Munna Kumar, Ajay Yadav, Subedar Rajbhar, Afroz Khan along with 12 others gave Rs 1.75 crore to the accused.
The investigation revealed that the gang members initially targeted students near coaching institutes, telling them about Group C and Group D jobs at the FCI.
Later, a member of the gang met the candidates at a hotel and took a token money of Rs 2 lakh from each of the candidates.
“Those who paid Rs 2 lakh were asked to reappear for an interview at Rs 2 lakh. Those who paid the amount were then asked to go for an interview that was conducted in a two-story building plastered with FCI badges and a similar government office. The gang members placed in the office were dressed in uniform with FCI’s emblem and monogram,” the police added.
The jobs were those of depot managers and office manager of FCI.
One of the gang members had even appeared as general manager of FCI and conducted interviews, while each member who appeared in the interview was asked to give Rs 5 lakh more for the confirmation of the appointment, the police said.
The suspects agreed to fire more and were given letters of appointment, police said. When the candidates reached the FCI to join, they found out that they had been duped.
SHO Mahanagar, KK Tiwari, said teams had been formed to apprehend other members of the gang and added that both suspects held private jobs in New Delhi before turning to the crime in 2021.
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