Hyderabad: Consultancy director held for cheating overseas job aspirants

The Telangana Crime Investigation Department (CID) has arrested Saroj Shiswant Thorat, alias Saroj Bharath Kumar, Director of Eagle Expert Immigration Consultancy, in connection with a widespread overseas job visa fraud that spanned several Indian states.

The case came to light following a complaint filed by Ch Kamalakar, a resident of Karimnagar, who alleged that a consultancy operating under the name Abroad Study Plan Overseas Educational Consultancy, based in KPHB, Hyderabad, had defrauded him and his friend K Sunil of approximately Rs 8 lakh, stated a report by The New Indian Express.

The amount was collected under the pretext of securing guaranteed jobs in Malta. However, fake documents were provided and no jobs were arranged.

Based on this and two other similar complaints, cases were booked under Sections 420, 370(3), 406, 409, 419, 467, 471, 120-B of the IPC, and Section 24(1)(b)(g) of the Emigration Act, 1983. The case was later transferred to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the CID, Telangana.

The investigation revealed a larger conspiracy involving Ghanta Anil Kumar, Ghanta Sunil Kumar, Kottu Sai Ravi Teja, Kottu Sai Manoj, Shubham, and Vamshi, among others. These individuals operated offices in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, and Delhi, and are believed to have defrauded nearly 100 victims from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and other states.

Each victim was reportedly promised a guaranteed overseas job — particularly in Malta — in exchange for a commission of Rs 5 lakh. However, upon arrival in Malta, the victims discovered that no jobs had been arranged and were forced to return to India, incurring significant financial losses.

Five accused have already been arrested in the case. On June 17, 2025, the CID arrested the eighth accused, Saroj Shiswant Thorat, in Hyderabad and remanded her to judicial custody.

Investigators found that she and her husband, Vuyyuru Bharath Kumar, directors of Eagle Expert Immigration Consultancy, had conspired with the directors of Abroad Study Plan Overseas Educational Consultancy and others to orchestrate the scam, stated the report by The New Indian Express.

Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the absconding accused.