Over 30 youth, including women, petitioned the district police department on Thursday demanding action against a man for cheating them of several lakh rupees on the pretext of getting them government jobs.
The group submitted the petition to Superintendent of Police of Vellore P Vijaya Kumar at the district police office. The SP assured the petitioners that he would take suitable action.
S Nithyanandam of Keelveernam village said Yuvaraj (43) of Arcot, who had been selling household articles in and around Banaravam, had promised government jobs to several job seekers. “He told us he knew officials in District Employment Office and would get us employment in the EB office, education department, Anganwadi centres and other government departments,” said Nithyanandam, who paid Yuvaraj Rs 1.50 lakh in 2011.
Several unemployed and young women in Pudur, Pudupettu, Banavaram, Anwarthikhanpet, Govindacherry and Malaimedu villages fell prey to Yuvaraj’s tricks and gave him between Rs 30,000 to Rs 2 lakh for jobs. He, however, dodged them for nearly six months. “Yuvaraj had collected Rs 30 lakh from 75 youths in 15 villages in and around Banavaram. He even gave us assurances on bond paper, which we have,” he claimed.
Besides collecting money, he had also collected original certificates of many graduates promising them jobs as junior engineers in the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited and Public Works Department. “He collected the certificates from them telling them that they could pay him the money after he gets them jobs. Neither did he get them jobs nor did he return the certificates,” said Thirunavukarasu of Pudur.
“We lost hope and in mid of 2012 insisted that he returned our money. Since then he stopped visiting our village and we do not know his whereabouts,” said another victim, Elangovan.
After their attempts to get back their money ended in vain, they repeatedly petitioned the police pleading to take action against Yuvaraj. “We have been submitting petition after petitions in the last one year, but police did not take any action till date,” said Nithyanandam.