Pune police register case after woman says overseas job offer led to trafficking
Pune — A 28-year-old woman from Nagpur has registered a complaint alleging that operators of a Pune-based consultancy duped her with an attractive overseas job offer, took her to Portugal, and subjected her to forced labour and extortion, police said on Saturday.
According to the complaint received by the Pune police, the woman contacted the consultancy through Instagram after being promised a cashier's job in Portugal with a monthly salary of ₹1.5 lakh and an eight-hour working day. Believing the offer, she paid the agents approximately ₹11 lakh in several instalments for visa processing, documentation and related formalities, the complaint stated.
“She was reportedly sold to a beer shop owner and forced to work, and was subjected to physical and mental torture,”
The woman alleged that on arrival in Portugal, her passport was taken and she was confined for two days before being handed over to the owner of a beer shop, where she was compelled to work under coercion. When she sought the return of her travel documents, the accused allegedly demanded more money.
After enduring the ordeal for nearly a month, the woman said she managed to escape. Her movements, as described in the complaint, included travelling by bus from the place she was held to Lisbon, then reaching Madrid and flying back to India via Doha. The alleged harassment did not end on her return: the accused are said to have demanded an additional ₹3 lakh, claiming it was needed to secure a job in Malta, and allegedly threatened to harm her husband and implicate her in false cases when she refused.
Pune police confirmed that a case has been registered against eight people, including operators associated with the consultancy named in the complaint. The FIR cites sections related to human trafficking, cheating and extortion, police said, and a search is underway to locate the accused.
Local implications and law-enforcement response
Overseas employment frauds have periodically come to light in Maharashtra, prompting officials at city police stations and anti-human-trafficking units to warn job-seekers about unverified agencies. The complaint lodged with Pune police underscores several recurrent risks: enticing social-media advertisements, large up‑front payments, confiscation of travel documents and coercive control at destination.
Police sources said the investigation will examine bank and payment records, travel documents, call and message metadata, and the consultancy's promotional materials to establish the sequence of events and identify all persons involved. If foreign culpability is established, investigators may seek co-operation from overseas authorities or Interpol, depending on the evidence and legal requirements.
- Alleged recruitment method: Instagram contact with a Pune-based consultancy.
- Money paid: about ₹11 lakh initially; additional ₹3 lakh later demanded.
- Alleged offences in FIR: human trafficking, cheating, extortion; eight accused named.
What job-seekers should note
Officials and non-governmental groups often advise those seeking overseas employment to verify recruiters' credentials, confirm job offers in writing from employers abroad, avoid large cash payments to intermediaries, and retain original travel documents. Prospective migrants are also urged to register with the Ministry of External Affairs' consular services or the Protector General of Emigrants (PGE) when applicable.
In this case, the complainant's account highlights the vulnerability of migrants who rely on social-media leads and make substantial upfront payments. Authorities in Pune are expected to share details of the probe with counterparts in Nagpur and central agencies if the investigation indicates transnational elements.
The case remains under investigation. Police said raids and searches are ongoing as they seek to trace and arrest the accused and to collect corroborative evidence from financial and travel records, social-media accounts and witnesses named in the complaint.
Further action, including chargesheets and potential cooperation with Portuguese law-enforcement, will depend on the evidence that emerges during the probe, police added.
