Rohini Placement Agent Arrested in Rs 10 Lakh Fake Income Tax Job Scam
The Delhi Police have arrested a placement agent from Rohini in connection with a recruitment scam that cheated a security guard of Rs 2 lakh. The victim, Gautam Prasad, was lured with the false promise of a Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) job in the Income Tax Department at the Civic Centre in Ajmeri Gate.
According to the police, the scam unfolded between December last year and May. Prasad, a 35-year-old security guard who was then posted at the Civic Centre, which houses the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) headquarters, was approached by a man identifying himself as Naveen Prakash. Prakash claimed to be an MTS employee in the Income Tax Department and offered to help Prasad secure a similar position, which carries a monthly salary of around Rs 44,000.
Lured by the prospect of a stable government job, Prasad quit his security guard position and broke his provident fund to pay the scammers. He transferred Rs 2 lakh in five separate transactions to secure the job.
The scammers went to great lengths to make the process appear authentic. Prasad was called for a fake interview inside the Civic Centre itself, where the Income Tax Department has offices. During this visit, two men identified as Rohit Chauhan and Pawan Dutt Sharma met him and introduced themselves as MTS employees. Prasad was repeatedly told his appointment letters and identity cards were being processed, with fake start dates promised first in January and then in March, before the accused stopped answering his calls.
After Prasad lodged a police complaint in May, the Delhi Police initiated an investigation. Police surveillance led to the arrest of Rohit Chauhan from Rohini on July 3. Chauhan, a hotel management graduate, allegedly worked as a placement agent and was part of a larger network.
Following Chauhan's arrest, the police apprehended three other individuals: Pawan Dutt Sharma, Chirag Aggarwal (who had posed as Naveen Prakash), and Tarun Goswami. Investigators revealed that Pawan and Chirag were former MTS employees of the Income Tax department, while Tarun operated as a placement agent and property dealer.
DCP (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh stated that the accused targeted unemployed youth through social media advertisements. They would conduct fake interviews and orientation sessions inside the Civic Centre to gain the trust of their victims.
The police have recovered four mobile phones, fake verification forms, and fake identity documents belonging to the victims. Investigators estimate that the gang cheated at least six to seven victims of approximately Rs 10 lakh in total. The police are continuing their investigation to determine if any active Income Tax department employees were involved.
