Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant disclosed in the legislative assembly that 34 cases linked to an alleged cash-for-job scam have been registered across the state since 2023. Responding to a query from Congress MLA Altone D’Costa, Sawant revealed that the majority of these cases are under investigation, with chargesheets filed in several and some now in court trials. While multiple arrests have been made, convictions remain elusive, highlighting the complexity of the scam.

The scandal, which has sparked a political uproar in Goa, involves fraudsters allegedly duping job aspirants by demanding lakhs of rupees under false promises of securing government or private sector jobs. Over 40 FIRs have been filed across police stations in Mapusa, Panaji, Bicholim, Vasco, Porvorim, Ponda, Agacaim, and Canacona, under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for offenses like cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust, and intimidation.

Notably, Bicholim police station alone recorded six cases in 2024, reflecting a surge in fraudulent activities that year. Investigations reveal organized groups in areas like Ponda and Vasco were involved in collecting money from desperate job seekers. The rising number of cases has intensified scrutiny on the state’s governance and raised concerns about vulnerabilities faced by job aspirants. Sawant emphasized ongoing efforts to bring the culprits to justice, as authorities work to dismantle the networks behind this widespread scam shaking Goa’s employment landscape.

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