PANAJI
The Crime Branch (CB) has concluded its inquiry into allegations made by cash-for-jobs accused Pooja Naik, finding that her claims of paying Rs 17.68 crore bribes on behalf of job aspirants to a minister and two senior government officials do not support any evidence.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Superintendent of Police (CB) Rahul Gupta said Naik had misled the public and defrauded job seekers by collecting money on the pretext of government employment.
“After meticulous verification of documents, premises, financial records and digital trails, no material evidence has been found to support Pooja Naik’s allegations against the government officials named. On the contrary, the findings indicate that she herself misled the public and collected money fraudulently from job seekers,” he said, confirming no FIR would be registered without a trace of evidence.
Gupta added that the CB is now exploring legal options to recover the money Naik allegedly took from candidates. “She and her family members lived a lavish lifestyle, which included tours abroad. We are examining how those sums can be recovered from her assets,” he said.
The inquiry examined bank accounts belonging to Naik, her husband Purushottam Naik and their daughters, which reflected transactions of Rs 8.06 crore between 2019 and 2024. Gupta said there were no transfers to the officers she had accused, despite her claim of receiving funds from 613 job aspirants.
“During interrogation, when she was asked about such high-value transactions, she said she took her own commission from candidates and that her husband sold fish for a living,” he added.
Police also listed assets accumulated by the family, including six high-end cars, three JCB earthmovers, jewellery purchases exceeding Rs 1 crore and construction expenses of Rs 1.05 crore on properties in Mandur, Betki and a courtyard in Dongri. The vehicles alone were valued at more than Rs 3 crore.
Gupta said the 2024 Mardol case registered against Naik has now been transferred to the CB for in-depth investigation. “Candidates who have complaints against her can approach the CB for further legal action,” he said.
Responding to Naik’s claim that she had worked at the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party office in St Inez in 2012 and had been introduced to officials by Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, Gupta said the inquiry conclusively revealed that she never worked there. “No staff member recalled her presence and no records supported her account,” he said.
The inquiry also found inconsistencies in her claim of maintaining a diary containing names of 613 job aspirants and details of payments.
Naik said she had handed the diary to a friend, identified as Tanvi Naik. “She was unable to identify any such person or house during verification of the addresses she provided. She now accepts that she does not know any Tanvi Naik personally,” Gupta said.
On her assertion that she possessed video recordings showing cash being handed to officials, the CB said it traced the relevant mobile phone to Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, which her husband had sold in August 2025 for Rs 27,000.
“The phone was recovered and handed over to Mardol Police Station,” Gupta said, adding that it had been formatted before resale. Call records from 2023 to 2025 were also examined, and no communication with the officials she accused was found. She also failed to produce any WhatsApp messages to support her claims.
PCR call logs from May to October 2025 showed that Naik repeatedly sought police assistance as job aspirants approached her demanding refunds. The inquiry further revealed that she stayed in a hotel for several months to avoid them, paying Rs 3.9 lakh and leaving Rs 2.03 lakh unpaid.
Naik has been named in five cases across Goa – four for cheating and one for abetment to suicide. Her husband faces two pending cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act.
