Mumbai, Mar 28 (NIE): A 45-year-old travel agent was arrested for allegedly duping a social worker from Gorakhpur. The travel agent allegedly took Rs 44 lakh on the pretext of providing jobs to 37 of his students in Dubai and Seychelles and escaped.

According to police, the complainant Azam Khan, runs an NGO in Gorakhpur and was trying to help his students, who had completed a skill management course.

In the complaint, Khan said when he had come to Mumbai in 2016, he was introduced to Sohail Musa by a common friend. Musa had assured him that he could help the youths get jobs in Dubai and Seychelles. Musa operated from an office in Opera House in Girgaon, police said.

In early 2017, when Khan contacted Musa, he informed that jobs of plumbers and carpenters were available. As Khan showed interest, Musa demanded Rs 30,000 for each candidate. “He said the visa and air ticket will cost Rs 30,000 per candidate,” a police officer said.

Over the period of a year, Khan allegedly transferred Rs 44 lakh to Musa’s bank account. “Musa kept demanding money, as he took the responsibility of making their passport as well. So the complainant transferred the sum as he believed that he was helping his students get employed,” the officer said.

To gain Khan’s trust, in mid-2018, Musa couriered 37 passports to Gorakhpur along with their visas. For months, when his students did not receive calls for a job interview, Khan tried to contact Musa, who reportedly started ignoring his calls.

“When Khan got the passports and visas verified, he learnt that the documents were fake,” an officer said. He came to Mumbai and approached the DB Marg police and filed a complaint.