By IANS,
Bangalore : More than 100 nurses from Kerala have complained to the Karnataka police that they have been allegedly cheated by a Bangalore-based recruiter who collected from them hefty amounts and in return promised high-paying jobs in West Asian and west European countries.
“The complaints against the recruiter started in December 2007 and so far around 120 job aspirants have approached us in batches, seeking help to get their money back,” said A.B. Devaiah, inspector of Ashok Nagar police station here.
The fraud came to light Monday when a group of about 15 nurses met the Bangalore City Police Commissioner Neelam Achutha Rao and sought his intervention.
“Four directors of the firm, United HR Services, which has an office on Richmond Road in Bangalore’s central business district, were arrested and released on bail. We are seeking legal opinion whether a similar case of cheating can be filed against the directors again as another group of nurses has approached us now,” Devaiah said.
“The firm has to refund over Rs.20 million (over $460,000) to about 50 job aspirants and this will be done by August,” Jikku Joseph, one of the directors, told IANS.
“We have no intention of cheating anybody. Our money is stuck with our German contact and hence the delay in refunding the amount to those who want it back,” Joseph said.
“We charge around Rs.500,000 for our services. The amount could vary depending on the country. We place nurses in several countries, including the US, the UK, Germany, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia,” he added.
Joseph said his firm has been in operation for over two years and has so far found jobs for more than 70 nurses.
Sheena Thomas, one of the nurses who sought the police commissioner’s help, claimed she had paid Rs.1 million to the firm for a job in Germany more than a year back.
“I was promised a salary of Rs.300,000 per month and a family visa. I have neither got the job nor my deposit,” she said.