Jamshedpur police bust job fraud racket, rescue 179 youths held hostage

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, August 27: A sensational job fraud racket that cheated unemployed youths with the promise of lucrative jobs has been busted in East Singhbhum district. Acting on a tip-off, a special police team led by SDPO Ghatsila raided Majhgaon OP and Ghatsila police station areas, exposing a fake company named Riya Enterprises and its network.

Investigations revealed that the gang lured youths with high-paying jobs in private companies and foreign call centers, charging an upfront fee of Rs 25,000. Victims were then forced to bring in more recruits, and those who refused were beaten, threatened, or confined. Phones were seized, and several victims were prevented from contacting their families for months.

During the operation, police rescued 179 youths—both men and women—mostly from outside Jharkhand including Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Odisha. Some victims were forced into fake data entry and network monitoring, while others faced mental harassment.

Four accused—Somesh Kumar (28), Mohan Kumar Rana, Shivam Kumar Singh, and Kundan Singh (34)—were arrested, while kingpin Raju Yadav (Gaya, Bihar) and his associates were absconding. Police sealed the Riya Enterprises office at Laldih Harigod and seized documents, ID proofs, registers, and computers containing victim details.

“This is clearly an organized gang exploiting unemployed youths. Its network may extend across multiple states. Efforts were underway to arrest the absconding accused,” said the East Singhbhum SP.

The operation was led by Vandana Nagaraj Singh (Ghatsila Police Station In-charge) along with Pankaj Kumar (Majhgaon OP In-charge), Ajit Mannoj, and Sub-Inspector Pankaj Karthik.

Police vigilance saved hundreds from prolonged exploitation, sending a strong warning to fraudsters that no matter how organized the crime, escaping the law was not easy.