Mumbai: A 30-year-old instructor at NMIMS School of Design in Vile Parle has filed a complaint with the police regarding a cheating incident where he was deceived by a man promising a job at JNPT, Nhava Sheva, for the position of a mechanical engineer. The victim, Abasaheb Padalkar, a resident of Mulund, was introduced to the accused, Rahul Ramteke, through a professor when he was searching for a job in 2021.
Asking security fee of Rs 2 lakh, accused promises interview call
Ramteke, claiming to own a job placement agency in Bhandara, Nagpur, informed Padalkar about a job at JNPT suitable for his mechanical engineering background. Initially, Ramteke asked for an application fee of Rs. 11,600, which Padalkar paid in November 2021. Subsequently, Ramteke requested Rs. 22,000 for a demand draft to accompany the job application to JNPT. After two days, claiming the application had been processed, Ramteke demanded a security fee of Rs. 2 lakh, assuring an interview call within two days. Padalkar, after consulting with family and mentor, borrowed money and paid the amount.
Accused goes no contact
Despite not hearing any updates about his job until December, Ramteke informed Padalkar about errors in the demand draft sent to JNPT, asking for Rs. 17,300 for a new one. Later, Ramteke urged Padalkar to "speed up" the application process, requesting an additional Rs. 25,000. In total, Padalkar paid Rs. 2.75 lakh to Ramteke, who subsequently stopped responding to calls and messages. When Padalkar checked with mutual contacts, he discovered that others had fallen victim to similar frauds by Ramteke.
On Tuesday, Padalkar approached the police and registered a case against Ramteke, initiating a formal investigation into the matter.
