Govt job racket: Kotagiri man arrested for duping many of Rs 1 cr
The accused identified as Mano (40), from Horasholai in Kotagiri, posed as an Assistant Director in Kotagiri Town Panchayat and lured gullible victims promising jobs in the local body.;
Seized fake IDs and appointment orders; (right) Mano
COIMBATORE: The crime branch police arrested a 40-year-old school dropout for conning job aspirants of up to Rs one crore by providing fake appointment orders to join government departments, in the Nilgiris, on Tuesday.
The accused identified as Mano (40), from Horasholai in Kotagiri, posed as an Assistant Director in Kotagiri Town Panchayat and lured gullible victims promising jobs in the local body.
Many from Ooty, Kotagiri, and Coonoor areas gave him money ranging from Rs five lakh to Rs ten lakh in the hope of joining a government service.
On receiving the amount, Mano also gave ID cards and appointment orders with the seal and signature of authorities that looked exactly the original.
The fraud came to light only when the job aspirants approached the concerned office with the appointment order to join work.
When the aggrieved persons questioned Mano, he assured them he would return their money but failed to do so.
On Monday, they submitted a petition to District Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru, who then directed a police probe.
Inquiries revealed that police had earlier arrested Mano in 2022 during a vehicle inspection in Kotagiri when he came drunk in a vehicle with fake government symbols and stickers.
As he had fake ID cards from government departments, further inquiry is under way to crack down on the entire network.
