Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Pooja Naik, a key accused in the ongoing jobs-for-cash scam, was summoned and questioned for several hours on Sunday by the Goa Police Crime Branch, following her explosive claims implicating a minister, a senior IAS officer, and a PWD engineer in a Rs 17 crore recruitment racket.
Superintendent of Police (Crime) Rahul Gupta confirmed that Naik’s statement was recorded and is currently under examination, with the next steps in the investigation yet to be decided.
Naik’s allegations, made during a televised interview on Friday, claimed that the officials received money from job aspirants via her, and she demanded repayment within three days, threatening to publicly name them and approach the Chief Minister if they failed to comply.
In response, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant directed the police to summon Naik for a formal inquiry. He emphasized that any investigation would follow proper legal procedures, and that Naik should record her statement before the police and magistrate rather than making public declarations through the media.
“She may name anyone before the investigating officer; there is no need to approach me personally. Action will be taken based on established facts,” Sawant stated, reaffirming that no individual, regardless of rank or position, would be shielded if found guilty.
The job-for-money scam, which had previously shaken Goa’s recruitment system and led to multiple arrests, has gained renewed urgency with Naik’s latest claims. The Chief Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability, assuring the public that strict action would follow once the investigation concludes.
