Nagpur: A 28-year-old married woman, formerly from Nagpur, has alleged that a dream of a well-paid supermarket job in Portugal turned into a nightmare of confinement and sexual exploitation after a Pune-based overseas recruitment agency allegedly collected Rs 11 lakh from her for arranging employment abroad.
Pune Police have registered a case against seven persons, including four accused based in Pune and three allegedly operating from Portugal, following the woman’s complaint after she managed to escape and return to India. The case, registered at Viman Nagar police station after she approached the Pune Crime Branch, has raised allegations of an organised overseas recruitment fraud and human trafficking network.
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According to the FIR, the woman came across the Instagram page of a migration consultancy named ‘We Migrate’ in December 2025 while looking for employment opportunities overseas. The consultancy allegedly operated from an office at Phoenix Marketcity in Viman Nagar and showcased videos of candidates purportedly celebrating the receipt of foreign work visas.
The woman alleged that the consultancy promised her a cashier’s job at a supermarket in Portugal with a monthly salary of Rs 1.5 lakh, an eight-hour working day, two weekly holidays and a three-year work permit.
The accused allegedly demanded Rs 11 lakh towards visa and job processing, which she paid in instalments. In March 2026, she was reportedly called to the consultancy’s office for what was described as a job-confirmation celebration and was asked to sign documents. However, she allegedly was not given copies of the documents.
She subsequently left India on May 21, travelling from Mumbai to Abu Dhabi and then to Madrid.
Passport allegedly taken away in Portugal
The woman told police that she had been instructed to meet a man identified as Vamsi after reaching Europe. He allegedly took her to Portugal, where another accused, Chaitanya, reportedly took her to a house owned by Himmat Singh.
Soon after her arrival, her passport was allegedly confiscated, and she claimed she was confined to a room for two days. She was allegedly asked to pay Rs 40,000 before her passport was returned.
She was later taken to Odemira, where she was allegedly told that she would remain there until her residence permit was processed, following which she would get the promised supermarket job.
The job, however, allegedly never materialised.
Instead, the woman alleged that she was forced to work at a beer shop owned by the man with whom she was staying. She also reportedly found two other Indian women living at the same house, one from Rajasthan and another from Haryana.
According to her complaint, the two women allegedly told her that they too had travelled to Portugal after being promised legitimate employment but were subsequently exploited by their employer.
The FIR states that on June 27, the beer shop owner allegedly sent the woman to work at his residence. Around the same time, one of the accused in India allegedly contacted her over the phone and told her to “keep the employer happy” until her documents were processed.
When she resisted, the employer allegedly told her that he had paid money to recruitment agents to “purchase” her, according to the complaint.
Escape through Lisbon and Madrid
Fearing for her safety, the woman allegedly informed her husband and managed to escape on June 29. She reportedly travelled by bus to Lisbon and then reached Madrid, where she spent time at a bus station and later at a hostel. She eventually flew to Delhi via Doha before returning to Nagpur.
Police said the alleged harassment did not end even after her return to India. According to the complaint, the accused continued contacting her and allegedly demanded another Rs 3 lakh, claiming they could arrange employment for her in Malta. They also allegedly threatened her husband.
The accused have been identified as Pratima Bhati, Amit Kumar Jha, Azhar Shaikh and Kapil Mishra, all reportedly based in Pune, along with Vamsi, Chaitanya and Himmat Singh, who are believed to be in Portugal.
Police have launched an investigation into the alleged recruitment fraud, trafficking and exploitation. Investigators are examining financial transactions, phone communications, travel records and other documents to determine the extent of the alleged network and the roles played by each accused.
