59 women lured to farmhouse for ‘jobs’, stripped of phones

A job interview that promised Rs2,000 a day ended with an unexpected exit — 59 women who had arrived at a farmhouse in Gadap hoping to land work were left without their mobile phones after the alleged event organiser disappeared with them. The women had been lured from different parts of Karachi with promises of a 25-day assignment at a private housing society, complete with daily wages, food and transport. Instead, they found themselves at a farmhouse where the “boss” they had been told would interview them never showed up. After lunch, the women were asked to hand over their phones on the pretext that ringing devices could disturb the expected meeting with the boss. The phones were collected in a bag — and the man who collected them allegedly walked out with the haul. Gadap City police registered a case and arrested two suspects, including a female coordinator, while raids were being conducted for the alleged organiser and recovery of the phones. According to a spokesperson for SSP Malir District, the women had been promised work at an event titled “Activities” at a private housing society along the Superhighway. They were allegedly told that builders and housing society officials would interview them at the farmhouse before the assignment began. The spokesperson said the farmhouse had been booked by a man identified as Waqas, while a woman named Nargis was allegedly coordinating the participants. Sahil Salman was identified as the event organiser. The women were picked up from different parts of the metropolis in two buses and brought to the farmhouse at around 1pm on Wednesday. After lunch, Salman allegedly collected their phones before leaving the premises. Nargis also reportedly left around the same time. The women alerted police, who reached the farmhouse and recorded their statements. An FIR was registered at Gadap City police station on the complaint of Khushnuma Zaib under Sections 379, 420 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Police arrested Waqas, who had booked the farmhouse, and Nargis, the alleged coordinator. Raids were under way to arrest Salman and recover the phones. Read More: Karachi's crime culture Khushnuma, a resident of Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 18, told police that a friend had approached her around two months earlier and asked her to submit her CV and video profile for a 25-day event at a private housing society. She said she was told participants would be paid Rs2,000 a day and would work from 10am to 7pm. Salman later informed her that she had been selected and added her to a WhatsApp group, where Nargis was introduced as the coordinator. According to Khushnuma, separate WhatsApp groups and coordinators had been assigned to women from different parts of Karachi. The participants were instructed to reach designated bus stops at 9am on September 30 before being taken to the farmhouse. Farmhouse manager Ashar Ansari said in a video statement that the premises had been booked for an event involving around 50 to 55 women. He said Waqas had made the booking but did not come to the farmhouse, while a man identified as “Asif or Salman” arrived with a woman. Ansari said that when he later contacted the organiser about payment at checkout, he was told that he was on his way. Shortly afterwards, the caretaker informed him that the man had collected the women’s phones and fled. The manager said the women had been told to surrender their phones because the “boss” was expected and ringing devices could cause a disturbance. He added that the booking had been made through the required procedure and that the booker’s CNIC details were available with him. Another affected woman, speaking in a video statement, said the participants had been promised Rs2,000 a day, food and transport for the 25-day assignment involving stalls of different brands at a private housing society. She said their phones were collected and receipts attached to them before the women were asked to line up for the expected arrival of the owner. They later realised that Salman had allegedly fled with the phones. Police said statements of the affected women were being recorded and further investigation was under way. Officers were also gathering information about the people who organised the event and booked the farmhouse.