Job scam in Raigarh: woman duped of over ₹22 lakh

Job aspirants in Raigarh duped of more than ₹22 lakh after a man claiming to be a minister’s relative promised state‑government jobs in the Chhattisgarh secretariat.

A 51‑year‑old man from Raigarh has lodged a police complaint that he and his relatives were cheated of ₹22.70 lakh by a self‑styled “minister’s relative” who promised high‑grade data‑entry jobs in the state secretariat. The case, registered at City Kotwali police station, has exposed an elaborate job‑scam racket run through false claims of political influence and forged appointment letters.

Fraud on job seekers

The primary complainant, Samaru Ram Tandon, of Rambhanta, Raigarh, said he met Kumar Ram Thakur (60) and his wife Sohdra Bai Thakur (55) in April 2025 at Jayastambh Chowk in Raipur. At the time, Kumar Ram introduced himself as the brother‑in‑law of Agriculture Minister Ramvichar Netam and claimed to have strong connections inside the Chhattisgarh secretariat. On this assurance, he asked for job applications and contact details of “eligible” candidates.

Samaru Ram, hoping to secure a data entry operator post in the ministerial offices for his son Digesh Kumar, began transferring money at the accused’s prompting. Four other hopefuls—Pintu Lahre, Rajesh Sahu, Sushil Chauhan and Loknath Chauhan—also handed over funds after being told their relatives could be placed on government rolls.

Online and cash transfers

Kumar Ram Thakur first demanded ₹5 lakh for each placement, the police said. Samaru Ram arranged ₹4 lakh in cash when the accused visited Raigarh, then sent the remaining ₹9.92 lakh 500 online, including via Paytm and other digital channels. Later, the accused summoned the applicants to his village Bhadrasai in Mahasamund district, showed them appointment letters for data‑operator posts, and demanded the balance payment.

On 8 December 2025, the group handed over another ₹8.77 lakh 500, taking the total amount they had paid to ₹22.70 lakh, according to the FIR. The appointments were allegedly set for 12 December 2025 in the secretariat, but joining never materialised.

Postponement and threat

When the victims called on the promised date, Kumar Ram Thakur told Samaru Ram that the Assembly session had led to a temporary “hold” on new appointments and that joining would be processed after one week. Weeks passed without any movement, and every follow‑up call invited only stalling and vague reassurances.

Eventually, Samaru Ram, along with his wife Mamta Tandon, Rajesh Sahu, Sushil Chauhan and another associate, Shaniram Sahu, travelled to Bhadrasai to demand the money back. At the accused’s house, the accused trio—Kumar Ram Thakur, his wife and an associate Mukesh Sahu—reportedly started abusing the complainants and refused to return any amount. It was only then that the group realised they had been systematically defrauded.

Police action and legal charges

Samaru Ram formally filed a complaint at City Kotwali in Raigarh on Sunday, leading to registration of an offence under Section 3(5) and 318(4) of the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which cover cheating and criminal conspiracy. Raigarh police have not yet arrested the accused and have said the team is tracking the suspects “on the basis of gathered leads.”

Kotwali in‑charge Sukhnandan Patel told reporters that the accused allegedly used forged appointment‑letter formats and social‑media accounts to create the impression of an official‑level job‑placement process. Investigators are also verifying whether the accused had previously operated similar job‑rackets in nearby districts.

Impact on aspirants

The case has sparked anxiety among local job seekers, already under pressure from high unemployment and a tight government‑exam calendar. Education and career‑guidance workers in Raigarh said many youths routinely approach “influential middlemen” in the hope of shortcuts, making them easy targets for such scams.

Senior police officers have urged the public to avoid paying any money for jobs and to verify recruiting authorities through official channels, not WhatsApp or Facebook groups. They have also asked aspirants to immediately report any demand for “processing fees” or “bribe deposits.”

What lies ahead

Investigators said they plan to summon bank and mobile‑wallet records of the accused and the victims to trace the flow of the ₹22.70 lakh and will expand the probe to check if more people fall into the same trap. If the evidence aligns with the current complaint, the case could be upgraded to a multi‑accused job‑fraud investigation under the BNS.

Authorities have warned that such scams “exploit the desperation of unemployed youth” and have pledged to publicise the modus‑operandi of this racket to prevent fresh victims.