New Delhi, June 11 (IANS) Delhi Police have busted a fraudulent placement agency racket operating under the guise of providing domestic helpers and arrested two accused involved in cheating unsuspecting customers.

The accused allegedly duped a complainant of Rs 33,000 on the pretext of providing a housemaid and are suspected of using the same maid to defraud multiple victims across the city.

According to police, a complaint was received from Shalini Mehta, who reported that she had contacted Kumar Narsingh Bureau & Placement Service through an online platform to hire a domestic housemaid. Following her inquiry, a maid identified as Jhanvi was sent to her residence on a trial basis. The placement agency assured the complainant that a formal agreement and police verification of the maid would be completed after the prescribed charges were paid.

Trusting the representations made by the agency, the complainant paid Rs 20,000 through Google Pay and an additional Rs 13,000 in cash, taking the total payment to Rs 33,000.

However, on May 21, the maid allegedly went to the washroom and disappeared without informing anyone. When the complainant contacted the placement agency regarding the incident, the operators initially assured her that a replacement maid would be provided. Soon afterwards, both the agency operators and the maid switched off their mobile phones and became unreachable.

Realising that she had been cheated, the complainant approached the police. Based on her complaint, FIR No. 28/2026 dated June 8, under Sections 318(4) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), was registered at Police Station Cyber Shahdara.

To crack the case, a dedicated team comprising Inspector Shweta Sharma (Investigation Officer), ASI Rajdeep, Head Constable Javed, HC Deepak, HC Narender, W/HC Rajni, and Constable Ranjeet was constituted. The team worked under the leadership of SHO Cyber Shahdara Vijay Kumar, with close supervision by ACP Operations Mohinder Singh and overall supervision of the DCP, Shahdara.

During the investigation, the team analysed mobile numbers, IMEI details, digital footprints, and financial transaction trails to identify the accused. Based on technical surveillance and credible evidence, two accused persons were apprehended and arrested.

The arrested accused have been identified as Hitai Mukhiya (36), a resident of Madhubani district in Bihar, who allegedly masterminded the placement agency racket, and Jhanvi Kumari (22), a resident of Dhumri in Jharkhand’s Gumla district, who allegedly posed as the domestic helper and was repeatedly sent to different households as part of the fraud.

Police investigations revealed that the accused were operating fake placement agencies under the names Kumar Narsingh Bureau & Placement Service and H.K. Manpower Consultancy. They allegedly collected advance payments from customers for maid placement services, agreements, and police verification. After joining a household, the maid would deliberately leave after a short period and would later be sent to another customer, enabling the accused to repeatedly cheat multiple victims using the same modus operandi.

The investigation further revealed that the accused targeted individuals seeking domestic helpers through online advertisements. After collecting advance payments, they would deploy the maid at the customer’s residence. Within a few days, she would leave without notice, allegedly acting on instructions from the mastermind. When victims contacted the agency, they were either given false assurances of a replacement maid or their calls were ignored. The same maid was subsequently sent to other households, allowing the accused to continue their fraudulent activities and earn money from new victims, said the police.

During the operation, police recovered three mobile phones, five SIM cards, one ATM card linked to the bank account allegedly used in the fraud, pamphlets of the placement agencies, two rubber stamps, bundles of registration documents, and bundles of cash receipt slips. The recovered materials are being examined to identify additional victims and uncover the broader network associated with the racket.

Police said the successful busting of the fake placement agency racket highlights the importance of exercising caution while hiring domestic helpers through online platforms. Citizens have been advised to verify the authenticity of placement agencies, insist on proper documentation and police verification, and avoid making advance payments without thorough verification.

With the arrest of the alleged mastermind and his accomplice, Delhi Police have successfully solved the Rs 33,000 cheating case. Further investigation is underway to identify other victims and associates connected to the fraud network.

–IANS

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