59 women allegedly robbed of phones after fake job interview

A job opportunity promising daily wages of Rs2,000 reportedly turned into a distressing experience for 59 women in Karachi after they were allegedly taken to a farmhouse and had their mobile phones collected before the organiser fled.

The women had reportedly been recruited from different parts of the city for a 25-day assignment at a private housing society. They were promised food, transport and daily payment for the work.

According to police, the women were taken by two buses to a farmhouse in the Gadap area on Wednesday afternoon. They were told that officials linked to builders and the housing society would interview them before the assignment began.

After lunch, the participants were allegedly asked to hand over their mobile phones on the pretext that ringing devices could disrupt the expected interview. The phones were placed in a bag and taken away by a man who subsequently left the farmhouse.

The women contacted police after realising that the alleged organiser had disappeared with their phones. Gadap City police registered a case and began an investigation.

Police said two suspects, including the man who had booked the farmhouse and a female coordinator, were arrested. Raids were being conducted to locate the alleged organiser and recover the stolen phones.

A police official said the participants had been invited for an event referred to as “Activities” at a private housing society along the Superhighway. The farmhouse had allegedly been booked by a man identified as Waqas, while Nargis was reportedly coordinating the women. Sahil Salman was named as the alleged event organiser.

The case was registered on a complaint by Khushnuma Zaib under sections 379, 420 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The farmhouse manager said the premises had been booked for an event involving around 50 to 55 women. He said a man accompanied by a woman arrived at the farmhouse, while the person who had made the booking did not appear.