ED begins probe into cash-for-jobs scam, asks Goa police for case files

Panaji: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has started an investigation in connection with the alleged cash-for-jobs scam in Goa under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED has registered an enforcement case information report (ECIR) to investigate the jobs scam.

The ED has sought information from Goa police in connection with the cases registered at various police stations. Goa police registered over 33 cases related to the cash-for-job scam. These include over 20 FIRs lodged in North Goa and over 13 in South. Police have ruled out any political link to the scam or its operation by an organised racket to date.

Investigation showed that people were cheated with the lure of govt jobs since 2014-15. Ever since the first case was reported by the Mardol police station in Oct, most of the cases have been registered against women.

The scam, which spread across half the state’s talukas and saw an average of one case 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 Naik was arrested, chief minister Pramod Sawant 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.

Police said that a number of individuals accused in the scam duped more than 300 people of crores, with the promise of landing them employment in various govt departments, including public works, water resources, education, transport, revenue, police, and health. Over 21 people were arrested even as the scam spread to six of Goa’s 12 talukas — Bicholim, Bardez, Tiswadi, Ponda, Mormugao, and Canacona.

From police personnel to senior govt officials and from teachers to individuals who claimed to have strong political links, Goa police 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, even as the accused were using the money to pursue plush lifestyles of their own by purchasing gold ornaments and high-end cars.


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