‘Queenpins’ on radar: Most cases in jobs scam registered against women

Panaji: Ever since the very first case in the cash-for-jobs scam was reported by the Mardol police station last month, it is women against whom the maximum number of cases have been registered.

The scam, which has spread across half the state’s talukas and has seen an average of one case being registered every day, first came to light when Old Goa resident Pooja Naik was accused of duping several people across Goa of crores of rupees on the pretext of providing them govt jobs. Subsequently, Deepashree Gawas alias Deepashree Prashant Mhato, Priya Yadav, Sunita Shashikant Pawaskar, Shruti Prabhugaonkar and Uma Patil also saw cases being filed against them.

Soon after Pooja Naik was arrested, chief minister Pramod Sawant had issued a stern warning to politicians and govt employees that his govt would take strict action if any of them were found to be involved in the jobs scam. Sawant also requested people to file complaints with the police if they paid to secure a govt job. “Govt jobs are not for sale,” he had said.

Police said a number of individuals accused in the scam duped more than 300 people of crores of rupees with the promise of landing them employment in various govt departments, including public works, water resources, education, transport, revenue, police, and health. So far, 21 cases have been registered across the state — 13 in North Goa and nine in South Goa. Twenty-one people have been arrested even as the scam has spread to six of Goa’s 12 talukas — Bicholim, Bardez, Tiswadi, Ponda, Mormugao and Canacona. The highest number of FIRs — four — has been registered at Bicholim police station, followed by three FIRs each at the Ponda and Agasaim police stations.

From police personnel to senior govt officers and from teachers to individuals who claimed to have strong political links, Goa police has made arrests in separate incidents.

Investigations revealed that the victims were either known to the accused or had relatives who were hunting for permanent govt jobs for their kin. Although they believed this would lead to a secure future, they ended up losing their life savings instead. Unbeknown to them, the accused were using the money to pursue plush lifestyles of their own by purchasing gold ornaments and even high-end cars.


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