PANAJI
Pooja Naik, a prime accused in the jobs-for-cash scam, was on Sunday summoned and questioned for several hours by sleuths of the Goa Police's crime branch two days after she sensationally implicated a minister, a IAS officer and a PWD engineer alleging she routed Rs 17-odd crore through them, in a televised interview.
Superintendent of Police (Crime), Rahul Gupta, IPS, confirmed Naik was called for inquiry and that her statement was recorded.
"The contents of the statement is being examined," Gupta said, adding that the subsequent course of action is yet to be decided.
Earlier on Sunday morning, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had said he had directed the police to summon Pooja for a fresh investigation following her explosive allegations implicating high-ranking officials in a Rs 17 crore recruitment racket.
Naik had stirred a political storm when in her interview televised on Friday last had claimed that a cabinet minister, a senior IAS officer, and a PWD engineer were involved in collecting money from job aspirants in exchange for government posts.
She alleged that the funds -- amounting to over Rs 17 crore -- were routed through her and demanded that the trio return the money within three days, failing which she threatened to publicly name them and approach the Chief Minister.
Responding to these allegations, Sawant said the matter would be investigated through proper legal channels.
“She may name whoever she wants before the investigating officer. There is no need to approach me personally. The matter will be handled through proper legal procedures,” he stated.
The Chief Minister emphasized that Naik must record her statement before the police and the magistrate, rather than making public declarations through the media.
He assured that strict action would be taken against anyone found guilty, regardless of their position.
“Once the investigation is completed and facts are established, action will be taken against anyone — minister or officer — without exception,” Sawant said, reaffirming the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
The job-for-money scam, which had rocked Goa’s recruitment system, has already led to multiple arrests. Naik’s latest claims have added a new layer of urgency to the case, with public pressure mounting for swift and impartial action.
Sawant reiterated that the government would not shield any individual involved in wrongdoing.
“The government is transparent and will not bend before anyone,” he had asserted.
