Overseas job seekers demand probe against fraudulent recruitment agencies

A group of overseas job seekers from north Kerala districts has sought a high-level probe into the financial fraud allegedly operated by a few educational consultancies in the name of recruiting skilled labourers to Israel. They allege that the police are yet to take their complaints seriously or interrogate the suspected persons, and instead are encouraging conciliatory talks for mutual settlements.

Some of the protesters, who recently stormed the office of an educational consultancy at Perambra, complained that several lakhs of rupees collected in the name of processing job applications were not returned even after the agency failed to fulfil its promises on time. They said many women were among the cheated applicants.

“We approached the agency several times seeking a refund of the advance amount remitted. Though they issued cheques multiple times, there were no funds to withdraw,” said one of the complainants, who recently threatened to end his life in front of the agency. He alleged that the job fraud, involving the collection of money, had been troubling several underprivileged families in rural areas of Kozhikode, Wayanad, and Kannur districts.

A woman job applicant from Kannur district said many rural people, especially women from financially backward families, were among the ‘cheated’ job seekers. “Every time, they say the amount will be refunded. We have been waiting for almost three years to get it. There has been no helpful response from the local police to support the victims,” she said.

Meanwhile, police officers from Mukkom station, who recently examined the complaints, said one of the accused agencies in Kozhikode district had agreed to refund the claimed amount to the complainants by April 10 following a conciliation talk. The police officers said legal action would be initiated in case of any violation of the agreement.