Mumbai, Oct 11: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police has arrested a former Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable from Delhi for allegedly orchestrating a large-scale fake government job racket, in which he duped several aspirants by promising employment in state and central departments. Officials said the accused, identified as Nilesh Kashiram Rathod (38), a resident of Akola district in Maharashtra, allegedly used part of the defrauded money to produce two Marathi films.
According to investigators, Rathod had been dismissed from the CISF several years ago and has since been running the fraudulent recruitment operation. Since 2022, he and his associates have reportedly collected money ranging from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh from each candidate by promising lucrative government jobs. To make the scam appear credible, the accused allegedly conducted fake medical examinations, issued counterfeit appointment letters, and even arranged mock training sessions to deceive victims further.
The police estimate that Rathod and his gang have so far cheated job seekers of nearly ₹2.88 crore, targeting victims from Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Akola, Pune, and other regions across India. The EOW has received around 60 complaints against him, prompting the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to coordinate inquiries across multiple jurisdictions.
An EOW official said the scheme came to light after Santosh Kharpude, a resident of Beed, filed a detailed complaint alleging that Rathod had taken large sums of money from several candidates under the pretext of securing positions in government departments. Based on this complaint, investigators began tracing Rathod’s movements and financial records.
The probe revealed that Rathod had been living intermittently in Delhi’s Dwarka Mor area, where his wife resides. Acting on this lead, a Mumbai Police team travelled to the national capital and apprehended him on Friday evening. “We found that the accused had invested part of the defrauded money into the production of two Marathi films to launder and legitimise his earnings,” an EOW officer said, adding that Rathod’s involvement in other financial crimes is also being investigated.
Rathod faces multiple cases registered under cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy in different cities. Police are now working to identify his co-conspirators and recover the defrauded funds. “The accused operated under the guise of having strong links within various government departments. His professional background as an ex-CISF member helped him gain the trust of unsuspecting victims,” the official added.
Authorities have urged victims who may have been duped by Rathod’s recruitment racket to come forward and assist with the investigation. Meanwhile, the EOW is also examining the financial trail of Rathod’s alleged film production ventures to determine whether additional individuals or entities benefited from the proceeds of the scam.
Further investigations are underway to track the network’s money flow, identify collaborators, and ascertain whether the fraudulent operation extended beyond Maharashtra. Police said they are committed to ensuring strict action against those exploiting the aspirations of young job seekers under false promises of government employment.