Bengaluru job fraud: Couple held for cheating 100 aspirants of crores with 'court' appointments

BENGALURU: The Special Enquiry Wing of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) has arrested a couple for allegedly duping job aspirants of crores of rupees by promising them positions in the High Court and other courts across Karnataka.

The accused have been identified as Lavin Jannet Monterio (36) and Jaisan Dsouza (39). Police said the duo, along with five others, forged appointment letters and created a convincing façade of official recruitment to lure victims. Efforts are under way to nab the remaining accused.

According to a senior officer, the gang targeted aspirants across the state, cheating nearly 100 people. The arrested couple are believed to be the key conspirators in the seven-member network. Multiple cases have been registered against them in Yelahanka, Kodigehalli, Basaveshwaranagar and at the CCB police station. Notably, the duo had been arrested in a similar case in 2024 but allegedly resumed their fraudulent activities after securing bail.

The other accused have been identified as Sudarshan Adyantaya, Arjun Adyantaya, Anitha Adyantaya, Mahendra S Kanchan and Rakesh S Kanchan.

One of the victims, Jayasimha N (39), a resident of Rajarajeshwarinagar, revealed in his complaint that he was lured between 2023 and 2025 with promises of securing a government job. Jayasimha, who had returned from Malaysia in search of employment, was introduced to the accused through a relative.

The gang allegedly claimed to have strong connections with court officials and showed forged documents, including fake recruitment orders, registrar communications and media releases, to build credibility. Aspirants were even presented with a list of vacancies and asked to choose posts based on their qualifications.

Jayasimha opted for the post of Second Division Assistant (SDA) and was directed to visit an office named “Aashirvad Enterprises” in Sahakara Nagar. The office, reportedly crowded with aspirants from across the state, was used to conduct the fraudulent operation. Victims were shown documents bearing letterheads of the High Court, district courts, civil courts and taluk courts.

The accused allegedly demanded payments in four instalments—50 percent via cheque and the rest in cash. To further convince the victims, they introduced an elderly man as a ‘judge’ during a meeting at a hotel in HMT Layout, where over 60 aspirants were made to interact with him in batches.

Victims were later shown what appeared to be official appointment orders and were told to expect formal letters by post. Trusting the elaborate setup, Jayasimha paid Rs 14 lakh, while three others—Yogesh, Bharath and Gurukiran—collectively paid Rs 48 lakh.

Police believe the total number of victims could be much higher, with losses running into several crores. Investigations are ongoing to uncover the full extent of the racket and trace the remaining accused. TOI had written about the fraud on February 25, ‘Courting trouble, 4 aspirants promised high court posts cheated of Rs 48 lakh.’