Nine Fall Victim to ‘Dunki’-Inspired Canadian Job Scam; Suspect Mohit Chaddha At Large

In a disheartening turn of events, a man posing as a Canadian business owner deceived nine individuals, including a woman and her two children, with the promise of employment opportunities in Canada.

Drawing parallels to the strategies depicted in Shah Rukh Khan’s film “Dunki,” where individuals navigate through countries with lax travel requirements to reach destinations like the US, UK, or Canada, this real-life saga reveals a darker reality.

Mohit Chaddha, a resident of Ludhiana, lured his victims to Maharashtra’s picturesque Lonavala. There, in the guise of a lavish retreat, he provided them with a taste of luxury, including a visit to the Imagica water park.

The illusion of grandeur was shattered when the victims were served spiked beverages, leading to a collective blackout. Upon awakening, they found themselves robbed of six mobile phones, cash amounting to ₹2 lakh, and one woman’s bank account drained of ₹7.5 lakh—all executed under Chaddha’s orchestrated plot. Harjeet Singh and Satish Rao, allegedly his accomplices, aided in this calculated heist.

Stripped of their belongings and means of communication, the victims spent a harrowing night at Lonavala railway station before seeking police assistance. Neha Malhotra, one of the victims, recounted their ordeal: “We were told in the morning that we have to have an interview in the embassy, so he asked us to give him our phones. Everyone was given something mixed in mango shake, it was very strong, after that we did not know anything. Everyone fell asleep suddenly, the boys were unconscious. After that, around 5 o’clock, Harjeet Singh and Suresh Rao took the goods in an auto. We also have the number of the auto.”

Naji Arora, who suffered a significant financial loss, explained, “All this transfer was done. After the transfer, we came to know that they had left with the luggage. When we checked the CCTV, Mohit had left at 12 o’clock.” This alarming incident serves as a stark reminder of the perils faced by those entrusting their futures to the hands of unscrupulous individuals.

As the investigation unfolds, Lonavala City Police Station’s Inspector Suhas Jagtap stated, “All mobile phones are switched off right now, we are taking out their CDR (Call Detail Records), the woman had also met him in Santa Cruz, so we are taking her information. Today is only the first day of the investigation, so we cannot say much at the moment.”

The scam extended beyond mere financial deception. One female victim, who met Chaddha on the matrimonial website Shaadi.com, believed in his assurances of marriage and relocation to Canada. Surinder Kaur, reflecting on her experience, lamented, “I have sold all my household items in Ludhiana, I have become homeless. Everything happened within a few days. Actually, his behavior was very good. Ask anyone if there was even one percent doubt. No one doubted that person.”il

This case is not an isolated one. Last year, a Nicaragua-bound plane was grounded in France amidst suspicions of a ‘donkey flight’—a term associated with illegal immigration routes. With a surge in Indian nationals seeking asylum in the US, data from the US Customs and Border Patrol reveals a 51.61% increase in Indians attempting illegal entry in 2023, underscoring the growing desperation among those seeking better opportunities abroad.