Thane aviation job scam: 3 booked for duping 20+ students; one accused files cross-FIR over assault

THANE: Three persons were booked by Naupada Police for allegedly duping over 20 students, including an 18-year-old woman, under the pretext of offering airport jobs through a private aviation training institute in Thane.The complaint was filed by a resident of Surya Nagar, Thane, who claimed she was cheated by a local aviation training institute located at Krishna Plaza near Thane Railway Station. According to her complaint, the institute lured her and several others with promises of job placements as ground staff and cabin crew after completing a one-year training course.The complainant was introduced to the course in 2024 through a representative who claimed to be the “Central Head” of the institute.

She was assured that after paying a discounted fee of ₹80,000, she would receive nine months of training followed by a guaranteed job offering a monthly salary of ₹40,000–₹60,000.Trusting the offer, the complainant initially transferred ₹10,000 and subsequently paid the full fee through her mother’s bank account. However, despite attending theoretical sessions for several months, no practical training or job placement was provided, as promised.

The owners of the institute are named in the FIR filed at Naupada Police Station. On June 4, 2025, students were again falsely assured of placements through a linked entity, but the promises remained unfulfilled. Realising the scam, students demanded a refund, which was refused.The complainant alleged that many other students were also defrauded in a similar manner. The list of victims includes over 20 names from Mumbai and Thane regions.In a related development, one of the accused registered an FIR against a former BJP corporator and 36 others for allegedly assaulting him during a confrontation at a protest held on Monday. He alleged that he was physically assaulted during the protest.A police officer at Naupada Police Station said that they are probing both cases.