Imphal, March 11: In yet another case of duping the people, one Yumnam Ibotombi, an employee of Forest Department allegedly swindled around Rs 11 lakhs from 41 invilduals on the pretext of job appointment in various posts of the Department.

Ibotombi, rounded up by volunteers of DESAM was paraded before mediapersons today.

The duped job seekers have been asked to come along with their testimonial to the office of DESAM within March 15 to discuss the matter and other relevant action to be taken up in this connection.

Yumnam Ibotombi (61) s/o Y Gambhir of Wahengbam Lairembi Leikai is said to be working as a forest ranger at the Mantripukhri office of the Department.

He is reported to have applied for voluntary retirement two months back.

Parading him before mediapersons, education and academic secretary of DESAM headquarters Salaingamba Chingsum claimed of DESAM possessing details of the 41 victims and conveyed them to report to the office within the said date for further deliberation on the matter.

DESAM would ensure recovery of the entire amount Ibotombi had swindled and return them to the victims, Salaingamba said.

Ibotombi had taken a minimum of Rs 50,000 each from 41 persons with promises of appointing them to various posts like clerk, LDC, peon, Mali, etc.

He had even convinced all of them to prepare uniforms for taking passport photographs so that identity cards could be issued, he said.

Asserting that offices of the student body's headquarters and Bishnupur district council have been receiving many complaints against Y Ibotombi and had been on the look-out to nab him which finally yielded with volunteers of the Bishnupur unit nabbing the conman from Yumnam Khunou area at around 7 am today, added Chanu Ningthoujam of the Bishnupur branch.

She also advised job seekers to pursue Govt jobs through proper channel of Employment Exchanges and rely on departmental recruitment instead to avert being duped in the future.

It would also be wiser to stop believing such people who promises jobs and concede to the monetary demands.

Talking to mediapersons, two persons of a same family, namely Satyabati and Biren who were among the 41 persons duped, informed that the total amount of the money taken from them on November 24 last by Ibotombi is Rs 73.Besides, Ibotombi had also reportedly taken Rs 67 lakhs from RK Rabi Singh, Laishram Ibecha and Laishram Yaima, all of them residents of Ningthoukhong and three other persons from Thinungei for the posts of Forest guards, LDC and Mali.

Accused Ibotombi confessed that he started swindling and duping people on false promise of providing them Government jobs since 1987.Although, he had taken money from 41 people, he is not in a position to gaurantee appointment in Government jobs, he confessed.

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