PANJIM: The Mega Government Job scam that has rattled the entire Goa and has blown up in the face of job seekers in Goa, relieving each of the victims of lakhs of hard earned rupees, by emptying their bank accounts and even selling off their gold. A total of 18 arrests have been made and 3 FIRs have been filed in the nearly Rs 10 crore scam. With fingers being pointed to those in power, it is time to ask where has the money gone? But to refresh the collective memory it is useful to flag who are these Queen Pins, Kingpins and accomplices? How many have been arrested, and how many complaints are filed?
Pooja Naik one of the main Queen Pins was arrested by Ponda Police on October 22, 2024. She was again arrested on October 29 for defrauding an individual of Rs 2 lakh in return for a constables job. She was arrested a second time after she was bailed out in the first arrest after two days. Fifty applications were found at her house addressed to the PWD, Director of Transport, River Navigation Department and Agriculture. She has also been charged in the abetment to suicide of Shridhar Satarkar, who died by suicide on October 230, 2024 after being questioned by the police. Pooja Naik has also been charged by the Porvorim police.
Deepashree Sawant Gavas another major Queen Pin was arrested on November 4, 2024 for accepting cash from a woman in Usgao, in return for a job of a primary school teacher. Deepashree has been accused by Sandeep Parab for taking Rs 3.8 crores from 44 job aspirants through him.
Sandeep Parab, a Kingpin and Junior Engineer from WRD, who was arrested on November 10, on a complaint from Vishal Gaonkar for collecting Rs 14 lakh from him. He had collected Rs 3.8 crore which he passed on to Deepashree. He said he himself had paid Rs 4 lakh to Deepashree for a job for his daughter. Parab collected Rs 74 lakh from accomplice Tukaram Jalmi, Rs 42 lakh from accomplice Amit Nagvenkar, Rs 66 lakh from accomplice Sudha Salgaonkar, Rs 131 lakhaccomplice Damodar from Banastarim
Sagar Naik, another Kingpin and Ponda Police constable was also arrested in the cash for government job scam on November 4, 2024. He was rearrested after Sadanand Virnodkar of Sanvordem filed a complaint against her for taking Rs 10 lakh and not giving him the promised PWD job.
Queen pin and Headmistress Sunita Pawaskar of Tivrem Orgao was arrested twice on October 27 on the complaint from Trupti Prabhu of Usgao for accepting Rs 15 lakh from her and rearrested on October 28, 2024.
Priya Yadav, another Queenpin whose money trail was traced to Kolhapur was arrested on November 4, in the cash for job scam. We weaved a story that her plot in Kolhapur had been acquired by the Railways and she was promised 10 jobs, which she was selling. In the first case she was arrested for taking money for a railway job. In the second she was arrested for accepting Rs 35 for a property where a case had been filed against her by Jayanti Vaigankar of Bordem Bicholim and in the third case she was arrested on 12 November for accepting Rs 18 lakh after a complaint by Ashok Somnath of Bicholim.
Another Kingpin and teacher Yogesh Shenvi Cuncolienkar who went as a victim to the police, was arrested on November 10 for defrauding 20 person of Rs 1.2 crore.
Shruti Akshay Prabhugaonkar, reportedly a past BJP Yuva Morcha office bearer and president of the Nuvem Mahila Morcha aged 36 of Porvorim was arrested of November 10 in the cash for jobs scam.
Mohammad Sadik arrested by Panjim police in the cash for job scam on November 12, 2024.
On November 13, 2024 Vasco police have arrested One Uma Patil and her son Shivam Patil residents of Baina Vasco for duping one Rashmi Chopdekar of Chimbel to the tune of Rs 6 lakh on the pretext of giving job of police constable but failed to either give the job or return the money.
Rameshwar Mandrekar of Poriem and Ravindra Bhandari of Polem against whom a complaint has been filed by Krishna K Naik of Poinguinim for accepting Rs 5 lakh from him.
A complaint has been filed against Mithil Chari of Poinguinim and Pritish Chair of Loleim and Parag Raikar by Nisha Chari for accepting Rs 15 lakhs by promising her the job of a Civil Engineer in the PWD.
Besides Rohan Venjee, a constable has been suspended, Rameshwar Mandrekar and Ravindra Bhandari are other accused in the web of multi crore cash for government jobs scam.
More complaints are expected to be filed in the coming weeks, as more skeletons tumble out of the scam cupboard and more Queen Pins, King Pins and accomplices are likely to be exposed.