Nagpur: A 28-year-old married woman, formerly from Nagpur, has alleged that she was trafficked to Portugal and subjected to sexual exploitation after a Pune-based overseas recruitment consultancy allegedly took ₹11 lakh from her by promising a supermarket job.
Pune Police have registered a case against seven people, including four allegedly operating from Pune and three reportedly based in Portugal. The case was registered at Viman Nagar police station following the woman’s complaint to the Pune Crime Branch after she returned to India.
The accused have been identified as Pratima Bhati, Amit Kumar Jha, Azhar Shaikh and Kapil Mishra, all reportedly based in Pune, while Vamsi, Chaitanya and Himmat Singh are believed to be in Portugal.
Promised ₹1.5 lakh salary for supermarket job
According to the FIR, the woman came across the Instagram page of an immigration consultancy, ‘We Migrate’, in December 2025 while searching for overseas employment. The consultancy allegedly operated from an office at Phoenix Marketcity in Viman Nagar and showcased videos of people obtaining foreign work visas.
She alleged that the agency promised her a cashier’s job at a supermarket in Portugal with a monthly salary of ₹1.5 lakh, an eight-hour workday, two weekly holidays and a three-year work permit. She allegedly paid ₹11 lakh in instalments towards the visa and job processing.
She left India on May 21, travelling from Mumbai via Abu Dhabi and Madrid before reaching Portugal.
Passport allegedly seized after arrival
The woman told police that Vamsi met her after she reached Europe and took her to Portugal, where Chaitanya allegedly escorted her to a house owned by Himmat Singh.
Her passport was allegedly taken away and she was confined to a room for two days. She claimed that ₹40,000 was later demanded before her passport was returned.
She was subsequently taken to Odemira and allegedly told that she would receive the promised supermarket job after her residence permit was processed. Instead, she claimed she was made to work at a beer shop owned by the man with whom she was staying.
The woman also allegedly met two other Indian women from Rajasthan and Haryana who claimed they too had travelled to Portugal after being promised jobs but were subsequently exploited.
Woman allegedly escaped and returned to India
According to the FIR, the woman was sent to the employer’s residence on June 27. Around the same time, an accused in India allegedly contacted her and told her to “keep the employer happy” until her documents were processed. When she resisted, the employer allegedly claimed he had paid money to agents to “purchase” her.
Fearing for her safety, she informed her husband and escaped on June 29. She travelled by bus to Lisbon and then Madrid before eventually flying to Delhi via Doha and returning to Nagpur.
Police said the accused allegedly continued contacting her after her return and demanded another ₹3 lakh, claiming they could arrange employment in Malta. They also allegedly threatened her husband.
Police are now examining financial transactions, phone communications, travel records and other evidence to determine the extent of the alleged overseas recruitment fraud and human trafficking network.
