Muzaffarpur: : A large-scale employment scam has been uncovered in Muzaffarpur, where more than 300 young people were defrauded of about Rs 3 crore after being promised lucrative jobs in West Africa. Police have registered an FIR against five individuals linked to a company called Imperial Enterprises, which allegedly orchestrated the scheme.
According to investigators, the company, based in the Ahiyapur area of Muzaffarpur, lured unemployed youth from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand with offers of positions at “Sky Grid” in Benin, West Africa. Each applicant was asked to pay around Rs 90,000 for visas, tickets, passports and accommodation. Victims were also charged an additional Rs 3,000 for medical checks.
The fraud was exposed when 29 young men arrived at Mumbai airport on October 8 with what were later confirmed to be fake visas and tickets. Similar cases were reported at Delhi airport. When the victims returned to the company’s office at a mall in Bairia, they found it locked. Angry crowds gathered outside, prompting police intervention.
“Under pressure, Rs 90,000 was taken and they were lured with a flight to Mumbai. Many young people sold everything they had to raise the money, but ended up empty-handed,” said Mohammad Sabir, a victim from Darbhanga.
The accused — identified as Abhishek Kumar, Ranjeet Kumar Sharma, Sandeep Kumar, Vinay Sharma and Mohammad Arman, all from Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district — are currently absconding. Police say the company collected more than Rs 3 crore in just three months before disappearing.
City SP Kiran Kumar, SDPO Binita Sinha and other officers reached the scene to calm the aggrieved youth and launched an investigation. “Police are collecting evidence and strict action will be taken against the culprits,” said Sinha. Authorities have warned that similar rackets may be operating in other districts and urged jobseekers to exercise caution.
