Chief Minister Pramod Sawant made a significant statement in the Goa Legislative Assembly on Friday. He declared that the state government is currently waiting for a court order. This order is necessary to dispose of property seized by police from individuals accused in the alleged job recruitment scam. The proceeds from this disposal would then be used to compensate the victims.
Details of Seized Property and Case Status
Sawant provided specific figures during his response to a calling attention motion. The motion was moved by Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao and five other MLAs. The Chief Minister stated that police have seized property valued at approximately Rs 4.4 crore from the accused involved in these fraudulent schemes.
He assured the House that once the ongoing cases are finalized, the government will consider making a chargesheet and an internal report on the job scams available to the public.
Breakdown of Registered Cases
The Chief Minister revealed a comprehensive overview of the cases. A total of 51 cases related to fraudulent job recruitment were registered between the years 2024 and 2025.
- Out of these 51 cases, chargesheets have been filed in 32 instances. These have been forwarded to the appropriate courts for legal proceedings.
- The remaining 19 cases are still under active investigation by the police. Sawant promised that investigations into these pending cases would be completed soon.
He provided a further yearly breakdown for clarity:
- In 2024: 40 cases were registered. Among these, 30 were chargesheeted and sent to court, while 10 remained under investigation.
- In 2025 (so far): 11 cases have been registered. Two have been chargesheeted and forwarded to court, with nine cases currently pending investigation.
Opposition Concerns and Financial Details
The opposition MLAs raised serious concerns during the session. They highlighted the growing anxiety among unemployed youth in Goa. This worry stems from repeated reports of large-scale irregularities in job recruitment. In these scams, aspirants were allegedly tricked into paying money with false promises of government employment.
In his reply, CM Sawant disclosed financial details about the main accused. He identified Pooja Naik as the primary figure and stated she had collected a staggering Rs 17 crore from victims. This money was reportedly spent on personal luxuries, including purchasing property, buying vehicles, and funding foreign trips.
The Chief Minister issued a clear warning to the public. He urged people to stop paying any money for government job assurances. Sawant firmly clarified that there was no connection whatsoever between the state government and the accused individuals involved in the scam.
Questions from MLA Vijai Sardesai
Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai raised pointed questions about the investigation's scope. He noted a critical discrepancy in the figures presented. Sardesai highlighted that while Pooja Naik claimed to have collected Rs 17 crore, the official reply indicated cases were filed for a total amount of only Rs 26 lakh.
"This suggests she collected much more money, but only a small fraction is officially under investigation," Sardesai pointed out.
He demanded clarity on several key points:
- How the Crime Branch is tracing the money trail that Naik mentioned.
- Whether any audit was conducted on the funds she claimed to have handed over to others.
- He called for an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate to ensure a thorough probe.
Sardesai also challenged the delay in releasing information. "A chargesheet is public information, yet you are hiding it from this House. Are you waiting for another year until people forget all about this scam?" he questioned. He strongly demanded the immediate release of all chargesheets and internal reports related to the job scam cases.
