Pune: The Lonikand police are searching for four people, including a couple, who allegedly duped a 26-year-old man from Ashtapur in Haveli taluka of Rs 25 lakh by promising to secure him a job in the state excise department.The victim lodged a complaint with the police on Thursday.An officer from the Lonikand police told TOI that the complainant was preparing for police recruitment at a coaching centre in Wagholi. A woman from his class told him that she had secured a job with the state forest department and showed him photographs of herself in uniform. She claimed that her husband had good contacts in the state government and could help him secure a government job.“In February 2023, the complainant appeared for the state excise department examination. When his name did not figure on the selection list, he approached the woman and her husband. They demanded Rs 25 lakh to secure the job for him,” the officer said.The officer said the complainant and his family sold a parcel of their land and paid the money to the couple between 2024 and 2025. During this period, the accused introduced him to two other men. They took him to a government hospital, where his body measurements were recorded. A few days later, they took him to the state excise department’s office in Mumbai and showed him a list in which his name allegedly appeared on the waiting list.“Later, the complainant was told that his file had reached the office of the Superintendent of State Excise in Nanded and that he would receive the appointment letter soon. When he did not receive the letter despite repeated follow-ups, he realised that he had been duped and approached the police,” the officer said.
