Two recruitment firm directors detained on charge of cheating aspiring techies

Pune: Two directors of a recruitment and placement firm were detained on Thursday for allegedly cheating aspiring software engineers by not paying their salaries and failing to refund deposits collected from them.

The Kharadi police said the company, operating from a commercial complex in Kharadi, duped job-seeking techies of Rs 43.62 lakh between June 2025 and May this year. “The case came to light after a 27-year-old engineer from Shirur lodged a complaint on Wednesday. Based on the complaint, we initiated an investigation against the firm’s directors,” an officer of the Kharadi police said.

Senior inspector Sanjay Chavan of the Kharadi police told TOI, “We have detained two directors of the firm, a 31-year-old from Wagholi and a 25-year-old from Ravet in Pimpri Chinchwad.”

The police said they recorded statements from 22 young engineers who collectively lost Rs 43.62 lakh. “We received multiple complaints from fresh graduates seeking jobs in the software sector,” Chavan said.

The firm is still operational and employs nearly 22 staff members. “Our team, however, found during their visit to the office that even these employees had not been paid their salaries,” the officer said.

The senior inspector said, “Investigations have revealed that the firm charged Rs 1.90 lakh from each candidate, promising placement in IT companies in Kharadi and Hinjewadi. Candidates were issued appointment letters from these companies.”

“The firms where the candidates were placed allegedly lacked financial stability and sufficient projects. As a result, the engineers worked for three to four months without receiving salaries. Some candidates told us that when they demanded their wages, they were asked to leave,” Chavan said, adding that despite repeated requests, the firm failed to refund the Rs 1.90 lakh charged from each candidate.

The police expect more victims to come forward in the coming days. “We are likely to receive additional complaints, as many individuals have been visiting the police station,” Chavan said.

One of the victims, a fresh engineering graduate, said she approached the firm after seeing its online advertisement. “I was looking for a job in a reputed company, but I was cheated,” she said, adding that she has filed a complaint but declined to comment further.

The development comes a day after the Hinjewadi police on Wednesday arrested Harshal Thakre, chief executive officer of ThynkTech India OPC Ltd, on Wednesday in an alleged cheating and criminal breach of trust case registered against him and two others on Monday night. At least 500 IT engineers, employees, and interns were rendered jobless after ThynkTech shut down its divisional branch in Hinjewadi without notice. An intern filed the complaint alleging the firm cheated employees, withheld salaries and misappropriated security deposits. The company also collected Rs 15,000 from each employee for issuing laptops, but never returned the amount.