Kathmandu, January 4

Police today arrested two persons on the charge of swindling unemployed youths by promising them government jobs from Kathmandu.

Those arrested are Jay Prakash Das, 37, and Ashok Kumar Mukhiya, 43, of Siraha. According to Metropolitan Police Crime Division, the duo had allegedly cheated a dozen more persons of one million rupees, promising them jobs in Nepal Electricity Authority.

Das is a practicing lawyer in Kathmandu. Das in collusion with Mukhiya targeted gullible persons after the NEA announced some vacancies for the post of senior metre reader in a newspaper on September 7, 2014.

“With reference to the vacancy announcement, the duo contacted the victims and asked them to deposit certain amount in a bank account if they were desirous of getting the job. The suspects won the confidence of victims, claiming they had good rapport with decision-making authorities of NEA,” the MPCD informed.

Upon receipt of the cash, they went out of contact and had been absconding. Acting on a complaint lodged by the victims, MPCD launched an investigation and arrested Das and Mukhiya from Sinamangal and Koteshwor respectively to initiate legal action.

They have been charged with fraud. MPCD said Kathmandu District Court had remanded them to five-day judicial custody for further investigation into the case. If convicted, they will be liable to a jail sentence of up to five years along with a fine equivalent to the said amount. Many other people have also been suspected of being cheated by the racket, it said.

MPCD is receiving more complaints related to job fraud in recent years. “More job fraud cases are being recorded as more people are reporting such incidents to police due to increased awareness,” said an official. According to the statistics, as many as 176 cases of fraud was reported in Kathmandu Valley in the fiscal 2014-15, 267 in 2015-16 and 158 in 2016-17.