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10 things you need to know about multi-crore Kochi nursing recruitment scam

  • The nurses had to pay Rs.19.5 lakhs while agencies were entitled to collect service charge of Rs 19,500!
  • The PoE allegedly played hand in glove with the recruitment agencies. 
CBI files charge sheet in multi crore Kochi nursing scam

 

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has submitted its first charge sheet in the multi-crore nursing recruitment case with Protector of Emigrants (PoE) Adolfus Lawrence as the first accused. 

 

The recruitment racket involving the PoE and three travel agencies in Kerala and Mumbai allegedly swindled over hundreds of crores from job aspirants. The nurses had to pay Rs.19.5 lakhs while agencies were entitled to collect service charge of Rs 19,500! The companies did not give receipts to these payments. Owners of two travel agencies were also listed as second and third accused in the case.

 

 10 facts to keep you update on the infamous nursing recruitment scam

1. June 2015: IT officials seize huge sums of unaccounted money at Al Zarafa Travels, a recruitment agency based in Kochi. The CBI probe began after the Income Tax department found a large amount of unaccounted money during a raid at the recruitment agency.

 

2. A nurse, who paid money in advance to the agency later refused to take up the job and wanted her money back. But the agency allegedly rejected her demand. Then she submitted a complaint with Protector of Emigrants (PoE) Adolfus Lawrence. Instead of helping her, the PoE allegedly informed the agency.

 

3. Al Zarafa Travels allegedly recruited hundreds of nurses to Kuwait by collecting Rs.19.50 lakh from each.

 

4 June 2015: PoE Adolfus Lawrence was arrested in connection with the scam.

 

5.  An enforcement directorate probe found that of the recruitment agency Rs 232 crore collected from nurses and that it illegally transferred Rs 85 crore through hawala channels abroad.  ED arrests Adbul Nasar, Proprietor of Malabar Foreign Currency Exchange, Kozhikode for helping Uthup transfer money through hawala channels.


6. August 2015 : Uthup Varghese, an accused in the scam was 'arrested' by Interpol in Abu Dhabi. The investigators alleged that Varghese, owner of Al Zarafa Travels, went abroad after the scam was exposed. 

But Varghese, claimed that he was not arrested and that he appeared before the Interpol after the agency issued a red corner notice. He also claimed that the IT officials were taking revenge for not giving bribe.

 

7. February 2016:  The CBI arrests K.J. Mathew, proprietor of Mathew International, in connection with the multi-crore scam.

 

8. May 2016: CBI files three fresh cases against the PoE and four more recruitment agencies including Mathew Internationa, Munavvara Associates based in Mumbai along with JK International in Kochi. PoE did not take action even after he was aware of the scam, the CBI accused.
 

9. The central agency's attempts to bring Varghese to India have not succeeded so far.
 

10. As many as four different cases have been registered against the PoE and various recruitment agencies. 

 

 

Earlier, the Kochi unit of the CBI had registered an FIR against Adolfus Lawrence and recruiting agencies. The agency had alleged that Al Zarafa Travels, owned by Uthup Varghese of Kottayam, had recruited 435 nurses to Kuwait. 

 

The scam and the involvement of the PoE came to light after Adolfus handed over a complaint filed by an applicant to the recruitment agency. The agency allegedly threatened the applicant after that. The CBI had raided the residences of the PoE and the proprietors of the recruitment agencies.

 

The CBI charged the accused with various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Emigration Act along with various sections of the IPC. 
 
 

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