Several individuals who claim they were duped in a cash-for-jobs racket met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday, demanding swift action against alleged kingpin Pooja Naik. The victims said they had paid large sums for government jobs that never materialised and ap proached the Chief Minis ter after realising they had been cheated. Speaking to media, the group said the Chief Min ister advised them to file formal complaints with the Crime Branch — currently probing the alleged recruit ment scam — and submit all available evidence. They said he assured them the investigation would be ‘fair, transparent and impartial’, though he stopped short of offering any specific assurances beyond asking them to cooperate fully. “We came to meet the Chief Minister because we trusted Pooja and were cheated. We had given her money. The Chief Minister did not give any assurance but asked us to file a formal complaint. He assured us that the investigation will be conducted in a proper manner,” the victims said.
Amid the growing controversy, IAS officer Nikhil Desai has served a criminal defamation notice on Pooja Naik, ac cusing her of making ‘false, fabricated, baseless and mali cious’ allegations linking him to the recruitment scam. The notice, issued through his lawyer, seeks Rs 17 crore in dam ages—the same amount Desai says Naik falsely attributed to him. The notice states that Desai has an unblemished career record with no adverse remarks and alleges that Naik’s ac cusations — made through press interactions, video state ments and social media — were issued ‘recklessly and ma liciously’, causing severe reputational harm. It claims Naik falsely accused Desai of ‘accepting or facilitating bribes’ in government recruitments, a charge he describes as entirely baseless. The officer says he has never met or interacted with Naik. The notice demands that Naik immediately cease making allegations, issue an unconditional written apology within 72 hours, publish the apology across all platforms where her claims were circulated, and provide a written under taking refraining from future defamatory statements. Fail ure to comply, it warns, will result in criminal prosecution under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and a civil suit for damages. Responding via a video message, Naik said she had not yet received the notice but was prepared to face any in quiry, including a narco test. She maintained she had no political affiliation and that her family approached AAP Goa president Amit Palekar solely for help. In her message, she said, “IAS officer Nikhil Desai has filed a criminal defamation case against me. Although I have not received any legal notice yet, I am ready to re spond. I have shared my mobile numbers with the police and request a thorough investigation.” She also appealed to the Chief Minister for support in re covering the money she claims to have handed over to ‘cer tain individuals’ in the alleged jobs scam, saying she wants to return it to those affected. “I want to clarify that my family and I approached AAP Goa president Amit Palekar only for help, and he assured us of his support. I request the police to conduct a thor ough inquiry as I have given them my mobile phone,” she said. “I also want to make it clear that no political party is in volved here. My family and I approached Amit Palekar to seek help, and I also request the Chief Minister to help me so that I can return the money to those from whom I have taken it,” she added.
