A banner advertising job opportunities allegedly linked to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport was removed from outside Sion railway station on Wednesday night, hours after a reporter from the newspaper Mid-Day visited the location and began enquiring about its authenticity.
It was reportedly displayed at a prominent location near the station and appeared to target job seekers expecting new employment opportunities due to the airport project. The advertisement raised suspicion of a possible recruitment scam. According to Mid-Day, the police are now verifying the phone numbers printed on the banner.
"We will look into the matter and check whether the phone number mentioned is fraudulent," Senior Police Inspector Anant Salunkhe of Sion police station was quoted as saying by Mid-Day.
According to the report, civic officials had indicated that the hoarding appeared unauthorised and could be removed if found illegal. During verification by the reporter from Mid-Day, multiple phone numbers were found linked to the banner.
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Four of them were said to be associated with the organisation mentioned on the banner, identified as “VSP Foundation.”
However, only one of the numbers was reachable. When the caller was questioned about the job details and recruitment process, the call was disconnected twice, the report added. The remaining numbers were found to be unreachable.
The banner claimed that selected candidates would receive a salary of Rs 18,300 per month, work for 26 days a month, and be provided with provident fund benefits. It listed “VSP Foundation” as the employer and displayed one contact name along with a phone number for enquiries.
Meanwhile, Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd issued a clarification, warning job seekers against such advertisements. In an official statement accessed by the tabloid, the airport authorities said, “NMIA does not charge any fees for job applications or interviews. Any request for payment related to a job offer or interview should be recognised as fraudulent.”
They also clarified that all legitimate job openings are published only on the airport's official website and authorised recruitment platforms. Police officials also advised the public to remain cautious.
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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) told the tabloid that it was not aware of the hoarding. A senior official from the F North ward was cited by Mid-Day as saying that, “At first glance, it appears to be a fake hoarding and action will be taken accordingly.”
The official added that permission records were being checked and that if the banner was unauthorised, it would be removed. The banner was subsequently taken down later in the evening.
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