The Crime Branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Police has filed a chargesheet against two Punjab residents for their alleged involvement in a fake recruitment scam in the Military Engineering Services (MES), an official said on Tuesday.The scam came to light in 2023 after the accused allegedly duped two residents of J-K's Samba district of Rs 14 lakh by promising them jobs in the MES, a Jammu Crime Branch spokesperson said.

He said the Special Crime Wing (SCW) of the Crime Branch Jammu filed the chargesheet against the accused -- Bakshish Singh of Amritsar and Amandeep Singh of Jalandhar -- in the court of the Additional Special Mobile Magistrate, Samba on Monday.

The case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code was registered in 2023 on the complaint of two residents of Samba who alleged that the accused induced them to pay Rs 14 lakhs on the false promise of securing MES jobs.

While Bakshish was arrested from Amritsar after sustained efforts, the co-accused Amandeep remains absconding despite extensive raids and a lookout notice.

Proceedings have been initiated for declaring him a proclaimed offender, the spokesman added.

He mentioned that the victims were provided forged appointment letters and repeatedly sent to different locations, including Ranchi and Meerut, under the pretext of medical examinations, document verification and joining formalities.

Subsequent verification from MES authorities confirmed that the appointment letters were fake and had never been issued by the department, the spokesman said.

During the investigation, he said the SCW collected documentary, digital and financial evidence, including bank transaction records and forensic examination of questioned documents, which corroborated the allegations.The crime branch has advised the public to remain vigilant against fraudulent job rackets and to verify the authenticity of recruitment offers through official government channels before making any payment.