A group of students has lodged a complaint with the Palnadu district police on Monday, May 26, alleging that a private institute in Piduguralla defrauded them of several crores of rupees under the pretext of offering overseas employment.

According to the complainants, the institute, identified as Lalitha Tourism and Hotel Management Institute, allegedly collected between Rs 30 to Rs 40 lakh from each student between 2022 and 2024.

The students were promised job placements in European countries in the fields of tourism and hotel management. However, the promised placements did not materialise.

Complainants stated that some students were sent on a trip to Ooty under the guise of job processing, which later turned out to be misleading. They named the institute's proprietor, Pasumarthi Kishore, his relatives, and the institute manager, Kathi Sunitha, as the key individuals involved.

The total amount collected from students is estimated to be over Rs 5 crore.

The students also alleged that when they asked for refunds, they were threatened with false police cases, including under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) Act.The victims approached Palnadu district Superintendent of Police (SP) Kanchi Srinivasarao and submitted a formal complaint during PGRS programme seeking a thorough investigation and appropriate legal action against those responsible. //EOM