Latest news with #Madhukar
Time of India
29-05-2025
- Time of India
Myanmar job scam: Unable to endure torture, 65 Indian workers staged stir
HYDERABAD: One of the many brutal punishments inflicted on Indian jobseekers trafficked to Myanmar by fraudulent IT firms allegedly involved forcing them to eat frozen rotten duck eggs refrigerated for over a week. To make matters worse, those who refused to consume the foul-smelling, putrefied eggs were subjected to electric shocks, a grotesque form of torture used to punish workers who resisted internet scams or failed to meet fraud targets. In March, the Indian govt rescued 540 citizens who had been lured by deceptive job offers and trafficked to Myanmar. The victims hailed from several states, including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Rajasthan, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. Among them were 65 Indians who had gone on strike after enduring abuse at one such company. Upon their return to India-landing in Delhi on March 11 and 12-they shared harrowing accounts with CBI, detailing how they were recruited, transported and tortured at Myawaddy region in Myanmar. One of them, Kokkirala Madhukar Reddy, 31, from Rangampeta in Manakondur, in Karimnagar district, said that after landing in Bangkok on Dec 18, 2024, he was trafficked to Myawaddy under the pretence of a lucrative IT job. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Click Here - This Might Save You From Losing Money Expertinspector Click Here Undo I quickly realised during the training that we were expected to defraud NRIs in the US by persuading them to invest in non-existent companies," Madhukar told TOI on Wednesday. "Since I deliberately went slow on my targets, I was punished repeatedly-I ate the dreaded duck egg several times, which was rotten." The company, operating under tight security with its own "private army", used several cruel methods to discipline workers. "The egg would be kept frozen for a week before being forced down our throats," he said. "It would leave a foul taste and wreak havoc in our stomachs-we couldn't eat for days," he said. "If anybody refused to eat the eggs, they were given electric shocks," Madhukar said. Other punishments included holding two 20-litre empty water cans on each palm for 30 minutes, running 5 km, or standing under the scorching sun for hours. Even women weren't spared. "A woman from Haryana was subjected to even harsher punishments," he said. The cruelty reached such extremes that 65 Indian workers staged a protest, sitting outside the KK2 building in Myawaddy township overnight. The demonstration drew the attention of the local Myanmar police, who in turn alerted the Indian embassy. Swift action followed, leading to the safe repatriation of the victims. Madhukar chose to share his story to warn others against falling for fake overseas job offers and later landing in trouble. "What happened to us can happen to anyone. People must stay alert and verify before accepting such offers," he said.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Time of India
Rotten duck eggs, electric shocks: Torture tales from Myanmar hell-hole
Hyderabad: One of the many brutal punishments inflicted on Indian jobseekers trafficked to Myanmar by fraudulent IT firms allegedly involved forcing them to eat frozen rotten duck eggs refrigerated for over a week. To make matters worse, those who refused to consume the foul-smelling, putrefied eggs were subjected to electric shocks, a grotesque form of torture used to punish workers who resisted internet scams or failed to meet fraud targets. In March, the Indian govt rescued 540 citizens who had been lured by deceptive job offers and trafficked to Myanmar. The victims hailed from several states, including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Rajasthan, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. Among them were 65 Indian workers who had gone on strike after enduring continuous abuse at one such company. Upon their return to India—landing in Delhi on March 11 and 12—they shared harrowing accounts with the CBI, detailing how they were recruited, transported, and tortured in Myawaddy region of Myanmar. One of them, Kokkirala Madhukar Reddy, 31, from Rangampeta in Manakondur, in Karimnagar district, said that after landing in Bangkok on Dec 18, 2024, he was trafficked to Myawaddy under the pretence of a lucrative IT job. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo "I quickly realised during the training that we were expected to defraud NRIs in the US by persuading them to invest in non-existent companies," Madhukar told TOI on Wednesday. "Since I deliberately went slow on my targets, I was punished repeatedly—I ate the dreaded duck egg several times, which was rotten." The company, operating under tight security with its own "private army", used several cruel methods to discipline workers. "The egg would be kept frozen for a week before being forced down our throats," he said. "It would leave a foul taste and wreak havoc in our stomachs—we couldn't eat for days," he recalled. "If anybody refused to eat the eggs, they were given electric shocks," Madhukar said. Other punishments included holding two 20-litre empty water cans on each palm for 30 minutes, running 5 km, or standing under the scorching sun for hours. Even women weren't spared. "A woman from Haryana was subjected to even harsher punishments," he said. The cruelty reached such extremes that 65 Indian workers staged a protest, sitting outside the KK2 building in Myawaddy township overnight. The demonstration drew the attention of the local Myanmar police, who in turn alerted the Indian embassy. Swift action followed, leading to the safe repatriation of the victims. Madhukar chose to share his story to warn others against falling for fake overseas job offers and later landing in trouble. "What happened to us can happen to anyone. People must stay alert and verify before accepting such offers," he said.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Time of India
Fake job agent linked to Myanmar cyber crime hub held at Delhi airport
Hyderabad: A fake job agent from Gujarat, who allegedly lured a Karimnagar youth to a cyber crime hub in Myanmar in the guise of an IT job, was arrested on Wednesday when he landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. The accused, Hitesh, was caught based on a look-out notice issued by the Union home ministry. The authorities in Delhi informed Manakondur police in Karimnagar district about his arrival, following which they went there and arrested him. The youth, Kokkirala Madhukar Reddy from Rangampeta in Manakondur, was among several others trapped in the cyber crime hub of Mywaddy in Myanmar on the border of Thailand. They were recently rescued by the Indian embassy. He arrived home last month and gave a detailed account of the job fraud and the torture he and others were subjected to in Mywaddy. Madhukar told cops that he learned about the job through a Telegram group called 'Chinese Job' about five months ago. Agents gave him an air ticket to Bangkok where he was met by one Shyam Rao and given a local SIM. From there he was taken by bus to Mywaddy and later in a car to the 'company' where he had to sign a job agreement for one year. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo But when he realised it was an international cyber crime operation, he refused to work. After he managed to contact his family and convey his plight, they filed a complaint with the police. A friend of Madhukar in Karimnagar also wrote letters to various central govt agencies and raised complaints about how Madhukar was trapped. He was subsequently rescued. Based on the details about Hitesh, he was finally arrested on Wednesday, Karimnagar ACP Shubham Prakash said. He has been remanded in judicial custody, he said.
