 |
| Downed shutters of Green India Academy in Patna on Monday. Picture by Jai Prakash |
Patna, Sept. 12: The dream of having a content life in West Asia were smashed for at least 150 people today when they found out that the recruitment agency which was supposed to provide them with the visa for a hefty sum had closed down.
Green India Academy, a recruitment agency located on the third floor of Kulharia Complex, chose to bring down its shutters not before taking a sum of more than Rs 15 lakh from at least 150 people promising them a visa for countries like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the emirates of Dubai and Sharjah of United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The victims lodged an FIR with the local Pirbhore police station in this connection today. The police, however, said the particular agency was functioning for almost eight years and had sent many people abroad in the past.
“The recruitment agency used to take Rs 10,000 and the passport of the job applicants at first. Once the visa came in, the applicant had to cough up Rs 70,000. They are in this same place and doing business since eight years now. Initial investigations have shown that the agency has sent many people to West Asian countries so far and they are presently working there,” Asrar Ahmed, the station house officer at the Pirbhore police station told The Telegraph.
The officer though said investigations showed that there was a problem with the visas.
“There are many people who have claimed that the agency took as much as Rs 80,000 from them. It very well could be that the company providing them with the visa must have backed out and the agency found itself stuck and hence closed down. The proprietor, identified as Mohammed Jinnah, is currently absconding and his mobile numbers are switched off. The police are looking for him. But the agency cannot directly be called a fake one until investigations are complete,” the officer added.
The police added that maximum of complainants were from Muzaffarpur, Chhapra, Dhanbad, Siwan and Patna.
“The agency has branches in Mumbai and Calcutta. Investigations are on and we are trying to contact those,” another police officer added.
