Retired colonel held for cheating job aspirants

A retired army colonel, also the chairman and founder of a reputed public school in Almorah, Uttarakhand, has been arrested by the north Delhi police for allegedly cheating job aspirants by promising them job in foreign countries.

A retired army colonel, also the chairman and founder of a reputed public school in Almorah, Uttarakhand, has been arrested by the north Delhi police for allegedly cheating job aspirants by promising them job in foreign countries.

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The arrested colonel has been identified as David Daniel and he was nabbed by a team of the Civil Lines police station from his hometown on Friday, said police.

With Daniel's arrest, the north Delhi police claimed to have busted a gang of cheats that allegedly duped 26 overseas job aspirants from Delhi of several lakhs of rupees. They were promised skilled and semi-skilled jobs in foreign countries like Germany, Korea and Malaysia. The victims were duped by the gang six years ago.

Sindhu Pillai, deputy commissioner of police (north), said the investigation into the matter started after a complaint was lodged at the Civil Lines police station by one Shaji Narayan.

"Colonel David Daniel published an advertisement in some leading newspapers in 2005, inviting overseas job aspirants along with a mobile number for further contact. Narayan contacted Daniel and his partners, Anil Massih and Justin Fernandez, who asked him to send his bio-data at Daniel's residence in Almorah," said Pillai.

"In July 2006, they called the job aspirants to a hotel at Karol Bagh and took R2 lakh each from them for preparing some labour contracts. After that they disappeared and could not be contacted," said Pillai adding efforts are on to nab other absconding members of the racket.