Information technology sector frauds are changing rapidly. Now “Bond-cost fraud” is the baby on the block. As technology companies are moving towards smaller cities, this type of fraud is increasing.
Under the Bond-cost-frauds, freshers get a call from Information Technology companies and freshers are offered lucrative packages. They are promised training on the job. Since they are trained at the company’s cost, the company takes a bond from the freshers and also takes certain amounts from the freshers. Later the freshers are asked to leave the company and the amounts are confiscated for various reasons.
It is necessary that the Industry associations like NASSCOM should look into the changing trends. There was another story reported in the Times of India that is quite expressive.
Moon, an MBA degree holder, got a call from a company called AAKG in October. After the interviews, she accepted the job as assistant HR manager as the company offered a good salary package.
“I submitted all my documents and was asked to sign a one-year retention bond. Gupta even asked me to submit Rs 25,000 as bond cost. I was to undergo training for a week. However, even after 40 days of work, I was not given any training. Instead, I was asked to do tele-calling, shortlist resumes from websites, and call those candidates,” she said.
Moon claimed that after 40 days when she asked Gupta about her work profile, she was handed a termination letter. Gupta didn’t even return the bond amount.
The company has been allegedly cheating people for the last two years. Moon informed that Gupta would hire freshers, take the bond amount and later either terminate their work or harass them to resign.
Moon, along with some employees who had been cheated by Gupta, finally mustered the courage to file a police complaint. After a preliminary investigation, the police registered a fraud case against him. While the complaint was being filed, AAKG employees kept back Gupta inside the office forcibly.
He was produced in the district court on Friday but was released on bail on the basis that the bond amount was mentioned in the employees’ contract. However, the court has also ordered a probe into the case.
Another youth, Alok (name changed), on condition of anonymity, claimed that he didn’t get his salary for the last four months. He was selected at a campus interview from his college in Bihar.
“I checked the company’s website and later submitted the documents. At the time of joining, they told me that there will be 2 months of training with Rs 15,000 as a stipend. Later, the company will pay the salary. However, before joining, they had taken the bond cost of Rs 25,000 but till today, they didn’t pay any salary. Instead, they are harassing us to quit the office,” he said.
The complainants claimed that many employees had left the office for the past two years due to harassment and not getting a salary.
Amit Kumar, an engineer, who is still working in the company, told that even he has been given the job to shortlist the resumes of the candidates and call them or interview them.
Quoting a rule, Moon said the company can hire around 50 employees but more than 100 people are hired. “Gupta would take Rs 25,000 from them and later either terminate them or force them to leave the job,” she said.
