Kiran Gosavi, who the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) claimed was its independent witness in the cruise drugs case after a selfie of him with Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan – an accused in the case – went viral after the latter’s detention by the agency on October 2, has allegedly duped two youths from Edwan village in Palghar in 2018 on the pretext of getting them jobs in the hotel industry in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Kelwa Police are yet to file a first information report (FIR) into the cheating plaints made by the youths. The victims were allegedly given fake tourist visas and flight tickets and were turned away by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at Kochi airport in December 2018.

NCB has named Gosavi as a witness in Aryan’s case. It has been revealed that Gosavi, who is also a private detective, has allegedly cheated many youths, made them work abroad and embezzled millions of rupees. Four FIRS have already been registered against him in various police stations in Maharashtra.

Gosavi had allegedly accepted ₹1.65 lakh from the youth – Utkarsh Tare and Adarsh Kini – through online bank transfers, for employing them in a reputed hotel chain in Kuala Lumpur.

“We paid the money online to Gosavi who runs a company from Navi Mumbai,” said Tare.

“We came in contact with him through social media after he posted job avenues in Malaysia and fell into the trap,” said Kini.

“My parents mortgaged their gold jewellery and paid the money to Gosavi for flight tickets and visa. When we reached Kochi airport in December 2018 we were turned away by CISF as the tickets and visas were fake. We returned to Palghar and since then, Gosavi has not been accepting our calls for the refund,” said Tare.

“Many young people like me are more likely to be cheated. Gosavi should be caught by the police and legal action should be taken against him,” Tare added.

Assistant inspector Bhimsen Gaikwad of Kelwe Coastal police station said he joined the police station last November 2020 and has no clue about the delay in filing the FIR.

“But we are investigating the case and will register an FIR against Gosavi,” said Gaikwad.