Cash-for-jobs scam: Will seek police report on accused's allegations against minister, says Sawant

Panaji, Nov 10 (PTI) Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said the police were conducting a thorough probe into allegations of a minister's involvement in the cash-for-jobs scam, and he would seek a report from them in the matter.

The Goa crime branch on Sunday recorded the statement of Puja Naik, an accused in the scam who is currently out on bail, after she posted a video last week alleging the involvement of a minister from the Sawant-led cabinet and two others in the multi-crore scam.

Without naming anyone, Naik, in the video, had claimed that she had been collecting money from victims on behalf of a minister, a senior IAS officer, and an engineer, who are yet to return around Rs 17 crore.

Talking to reporters, Sawant said that the police have recorded Naik's statement and are verifying her claims.

There will be a thorough inquiry into her statements, and a report will be sought from the police about the case, he said.

The investigating officer questioned Naik for hours on Sunday, and on Monday, she was spotted at the Bicholim police station in North Goa, where she was arrested for the first time in the case in October last year.

The cash-for-job scam rocked the Sawant-led government last year, with several cases being filed against different accused for accepting money from aspirants on the pretext of providing government jobs.

The chief minister, in a reply tabled in the state assembly during the monsoon session this year, had stated that a total of 34 cases were registered at various police stations in connection with the scam from 2023 to mid-2025. PTI RPS ARU