Delhi Job Racket Dupes 34 Assam ITI Youths; Fake Apprenticeship Drive Exposed in Ghaziabad

OUR CORRESPONDENT

TINSUKIA: Thirty-four youths from different Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts allegedly fell victim to a fake job recruitment racket after being lured to Delhi with promises of employment at an electronic company.

According to one of the candidates, Samiran Sonowal of Kakopather, on May 11, a Prime Minister National Apprenticeship Mela was organized at Tinsukia and Dibrugarh ITIs, where an individual named Subham Samdar, claiming to be from the electronics company, conducted a recruitment drive among passed-out ITI students. The selected candidates were promised employment at the company in Delhi with a remuneration of Rs 28,500 per month and were asked to travel to Ghaziabad for further formalities.

After reaching there on Thursday, they were accommodated at Imperial Hotel, Ghaziabad, by the alleged recruiter. He also collected their Aadhaar cards for “verification” and charged Rs 6,000 from each candidate for providing uniforms and shoes. After collecting the amount, the person left the hotel, assuring them that he would return to pick them up at 10 pm. When he did not arrive by 11 pm and his phone was found switched off, the youths grew suspicious.

On Friday morning, after informing their relatives and institutions about the situation, they reported the incident to the local police station. Raditya Dutta from Duliajan said that the hotel staff were very cooperative and also provided them with CCTV footage. “We will lodge an official complaint with Assam Police and also with the cybercrime cell once we reach our hometowns,” he said.

“I have never travelled outside Assam. The heat here is unbearable, and with no money left for a return ticket home, we are travelling by the Brahmaputra Mail in a general compartment. It is so crowded that there is barely any room for movement,” said Sonowal over the phone.

Some of the candidates spoke to The Sentinel and alleged the involvement of an insider from the ITIs who might be connected to the job racket.

Questions are now being raised about why the credentials of the recruiter were not verified before putting the youths’ futures in jeopardy. “At a time when employment opportunities are scarce and job scams are on the rise, it was necessary on the part of the college authorities to check the authenticity of the recruitment drive,” said a parent.

All of the victims had passed out from ITIs in Tinsukia, Sadiya, Kakopather, Duliajan, Tipling, and Tengakhat and were currently unemployed.

Raju Gopal, Junior Principal, Tinsukia ITI, Borguri, said, “In my 30+ years of service, I have never come across a situation like this. The email for the employment opportunity was sent from a company address, following which other ITIs were informed. It is unfortunate that our students have had to face such an ordeal. As of now, we have asked the youths to send their QR codes, through which we have transferred money individually for their return tickets.”

According to sources, candidates from Dibrugarh ITI, though selected, did not travel to Ghaziabad as the authorities there sensed something suspicious and advised the candidates to refrain from travelling for the recruitment.

Also Read: Assam Job Scam: CID Probes Rs 20 Crore Fraud in Water Resources Department Recruitment Racket