4,500 youths duped as money collected for fake hospital jobs in Malda

A major employment fraud has surfaced in West Bengal’s Malda district, where around 4,500 educated unemployed youths were allegedly duped after money was collected from them in the name of recruitment. The accused include Najiul Sheikh, owner of a private nursing home in Sujapur under the Kaliachak police station area, and his sister. The case revolves around a proposed 400-bed facility named “Malda Mission Hospital,” constructed along the National Highway.

According to complaints, advertisements circulated on social media from January 2025 claiming that the new hospital would soon begin operations and recruit on a large scale for posts such as nursing staff, Group-D employees, technicians and security guards. The advertisement mentioned nearly 4,500 vacancies, prompting thousands of applicants from West Bengal and neighbouring states to apply.

Victims have alleged that during the selection process, money was collected from candidates under various pretexts and categories, allegedly promising confirmed appointments. The scale of the alleged fraud has sparked outrage in the region, with many claiming they paid substantial sums in hopes of securing employment at the proposed hospital.