In a major breakthrough under the Uttar Pradesh Police’s statewide Cyber Vajra campaign, Varanasi Police and the cyber crime unit have rescued nearly 300 youths and arrested 19 people, including the alleged mastermind, for running an interstate fake job racket disguised as a corporate office.
According to police, the accused operated an illegal multi-level marketing (MLM) and pyramid scheme under the name Mahadev Enterprises, claiming to be a franchise of Royal Health Wellness Private Limited. The racket allegedly targeted unemployed youths from Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and other states by offering office jobs, Tata company placements and agricultural work in Varanasi with promised monthly salaries of up to Rs 25,000.
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Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Neetu Kadyan said the victims were initially asked to pay registration fees before being recruited. After joining, they were shifted to a training centre where they were allegedly forced to enrol more people into the network instead of receiving the promised employment.
Police alleged the gang collected lakhs of rupees from job seekers and processed transactions worth nearly Rs 4 crore through multiple bank accounts. The operation functioned as a pyramid scheme, with recruits earning incentives only by bringing in new members.
Acting on intelligence, police raided the training centre and rescued around 300 youths who were undergoing training. Nineteen accused, including the alleged kingpin, were arrested during the operation.
Investigators have seized documents, electronic devices, bank records and other materials believed to be linked to the fraud. Authorities are examining financial transactions to identify the full extent of the network and trace additional beneficiaries.
Police suspect the racket may have operated across several states and are investigating whether more people were involved. They have also urged job seekers to verify the credentials of companies before paying registration fees or accepting employment offers, warning that cyber-enabled employment scams continue to target unemployed youth across the country.
