AHMEDABAD: Halol Rural Police in Panchmahal district of Gujarat have arrested Bharat Parmar, a man accused of masquerading as a high-ranking Food Corporation of India (FCI) official while allegedly running a statewide government job scam worth lakhs of rupees.
Investigators believe the fraud may extend far beyond the Rs 68 lakh unearthed so far, with the possibility that several more victims across Gujarat could have been duped.
The accused, despite having studied only up to Class VII, allegedly built an elaborate web of deception.
Presenting himself as an FCI director with deep connections across government departments, Parmar reportedly targeted unemployed youth and their families, exploiting their aspirations for stable government employment.
Preliminary investigations indicate that Parmar had allegedly established a network of agents across Gujarat who identified job seekers and convinced them that government appointments could be secured through his influence.
The accused allegedly promised recruitment in prestigious government organizations, including ONGC and other public sector entities.
To make the fraud appear genuine, candidates were provided with fake interview call letters, forged appointment-related documents, and fabricated correspondence bearing the names of government institutions.
The scam began to unravel after multiple victims approached police with similar allegations.
Halol DySP V.J. Rathod said the breakthrough came after retired railway employee Manubhai Patel filed a detailed complaint.
"Manu Patel informed us that he came in contact with Bharat Parmar in 2020. During their meeting, Parmar introduced himself as a director in FCI and claimed that he had influence and contacts across various government departments. He assured the complainant that securing a government job would be easy through his network," Rathod said.
The officer further explained that Patel was persuaded to arrange a job for his son in ONGC.
"To secure the promised appointment, Bharat Parmar allegedly collected Rs 7,78,950 through RTGS transactions as well as cash payments. He subsequently handed over what appeared to be an official call letter. However, despite receiving the document, no interview process, verification procedure or recruitment activity ever took place," Rathod stated.
As doubts grew, Patel repeatedly demanded his money back. "The accused returned approximately Rs 3 lakh, but failed to repay the remaining amount. During further inquiries, it emerged that several other individuals had allegedly been cheated in a similar manner. Based on the evidence gathered so far, complaints indicate that the accused has defrauded multiple victims of nearly ₹68 lakh," the DySP added.
Armed with the evidence, Halol Rural Police launched a surveillance operation and laid a trap.
The accused was eventually apprehended from a guest hotel located on the Halol-Godhra bypass road. The arrest opened the door to a trove of incriminating material.
Police recovered more than 15 bank passbooks belonging to different accounts, eight mobile phones, duplicate FCI letterheads, forged appointment letters, and numerous documents suspected to have been used in the recruitment racket.
Investigators are now examining financial transactions, communication records and the identities of individuals connected to the network.
Authorities suspect that the scam may have operated for years and spread across multiple districts.
Even more significantly, investigators have not ruled out the possibility that influential intermediaries or politically connected individuals may surface during the probe.
Police sources indicate that several leads are being examined to determine whether others facilitated introductions, collected money or helped create the illusion of official influence.
Halol Rural Police have circulated detailed information about the accused to law enforcement agencies across Gujarat to identify additional complaints and possible links to similar fraud cases.
Following his arrest, Bharat Parmar was produced before a court and remanded for further interrogation.
Investigators believe the custodial questioning could reveal the full scale of the recruitment racket, uncover additional victims and expose others who may have played a role in the operation.
Police are also planning a deeper probe into the role of the accused's driver and close associates, suspecting that fresh revelations could emerge as the investigation progresses.
