The Hindu : Immigration racket busted; woman held, passports seized

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 19, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Immigration racket busted; woman held, passports seized

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, JAN. 18. The Kushaiguda police on Sunday raided a private premises in Bhaskar Rao Nagar, Sainikpuri, and arrested three persons.

Forty-five passports belonging to unemployed graduates were seized. The arrested persons were Samyogita Reddy (29), who claimed to represent a company called `CPU Technologies of America' and promised jobs to unemployed youth in the United States, and two of her agents -- Siva and Ravi Parelkar.

The Kushaiguda Inspector, V. Varaprasad, said they had registered five cases and taken up investigation after they received several complaints that the woman had cheated them and collected money by promising them jobs.

It was learnt that about six months ago, Samyogita Reddy had announced that she would provide software and other technical jobs for at least a 100 persons in America.

She had allegedly collected Rs. 10,000 each from 17 youngsters and taken them to the US Consulate in Mumbai. She told them that their papers had been processed and that soon they would fly to the US.

On their return to Hyderabad, she had made the unemployed youth, who had master's degrees in business administration, computer applications, engineering, and commerce graduates cough up more money.

She allegedly collected sums ranging from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 1.5 lakhs from each candidate saying she needed money for booking tickets and for incidental expenses.

When weeks turned into months and their efforts were in vain, the frustrated youths approached the Kushaiguda police and lodged complaints.

The investigation was taken up by the Sub-Inspector, M. Ravichandan Reddy. Among the charges against Samyogita Reddy were getting fake visa stamps on the passports of the youths and cheating.

The arrested trio would be produced before a magistrate for judicial custody on Monday.

Mr. Ravichandan Reddy said Samyogita Reddy had made the youths deposit the money into the account of CPU Technologies in the Vishwabharati Mutually Aided Cooperative Society with offices on Sivam Road and then taken out the money.

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Andhra Pradesh