Concluding its inquiry into Pooja Naik’s complaint alleging involvement of a Minister and two government officers in the jobs-for-cash scam, the Crime Branch has finally declared all allegations baseless.
Naik had alleged that she collected over Rs 17 crore from job aspirants and handed the money to senior government officials
Speaking at a press conference today, SP Crime Branch Rahul Gupta said the investigation revealed multiple inconsistencies in Naik’s statements. “We conducted a thorough verification of every claim she made, and no material evidence was found against the officers she named,” he said, adding that her assertion of working at the MGP office in 2012 was disproved. “All officials and staff confirmed she never worked there. There was no salary record, no ID proof, no attendance, nothing to support her claim.”
Addressing Naik’s claims that she maintained a diary listing 613 job aspirants, which she allegedly handed over to a woman named Tanvi Naik, Gupta said the claim was false. “We asked her to produce Tanvi Naik or provide an address or phone number. She could not. There is no such person known to her. She later admitted she does not know Tanvi personally,” he said.
Regarding her allegation that a flat in PDA Colony, Porvorim was used for cash transactions, Gupta said the inquiry found no evidence to support it. “The owner confirmed that only hotel management students had ever lived there. There was nothing to indicate that government officers were involved,” he added.
Addressing Naik’s claims about a phone containing video evidence being in police custody, Gupta explained the device was traced to Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, after being sold by her husband, Puroshottam Naik. “The phone was passed on to Darshan Korgaonkar, who later sold it to another person, Sumit Kumar. At no point was it in police custody,” he said.
Financial analysis of Naik’s, her husband’s, and her daughters’ bank accounts showed more than Rs 8 crore in transactions over several years, Gupta stated, but none were linked to any government officer. “She could not provide documents to prove her claimed commission earnings or her husband’s fish selling business,” he added.
Gupta highlighted inconsistencies in her statements. “She is an accused in five cases, so whatever she says has to be taken with a pinch of salt. We could not rely on her statements alone,” he said.
The inquiry also revealed Naik’s extravagant lifestyle. Gupta stated she owns luxury cars, three JCBs, spent over Rs 1 crore on jewellery, invested more than Rs 90 lakh in house reconstruction, and built a temple courtyard costing over Rs 15 lakh.
Gupta said Naik faces five criminal cases across Goa, while her husband has two cheque-bouncing cases. “From May to October 2025, many complainants approached her demanding refunds after allegedly being duped, and she made several PCR calls claiming harassment,” he said, adding that during this period, Naik reportedly stayed at a high-end hotel for three months, spending over Rs 4 lakh, to avoid confrontations with aggrieved job aspirants.
Concluding the briefing, Gupta said the findings indicate Naik was involved in large-scale fraud, collecting money from job seekers and funding a lavish lifestyle. “We are exploring legal options to recover the money and return it to complainants,” he said.
He asked anyone who feels they were cheated by Pooja Naik to approach the Crime Branch in Goa with their complaints. “We will assist all complainants in every possible legal way,” he said, adding that the case registered at Mardol Police Station has been transferred to the Crime Branch for deeper investigation. “Goa Police is committed to ensuring justice for all victims of this scam,” Gupta said.
