A director of a consultancy company has strongly denied allegations made by an Indian national who claims he was the victim of a recruitment scam, saying he welcomes the police investigation and is co-operating fully with the relevant authorities.
In a video posted on his facebook page, the director, Sandeep Narayan Singh urges the public not to judge the matter or share unverified information until the authorities complete their investigation.
He says the Indian national claims that he lost more than $17,000, was threatened, locked in a house and received no assistance with living costs.
Singh says he strongly denies these allegations and maintains that his company does not take money from its own workers.
He says the police are verifying the man's claims and that he welcomes the investigation.
He also says he has requested an independent assessment of the allegations, including when they were made and why.
According to the director, the man referred workers to him while he was in India, and three workers he introduced are now working in Fiji on valid work permits.
He says he subsequently decided to bring the man to Fiji to work as a recruitment officer and help look after workers from South India.
Singh says the man arrived in Fiji on 14th September, when he was not in the country, and that he purchased his own ticket and travelled to Fiji independently.
He says the invitation clearly required the man to hold a valid return ticket, which he presented to immigration officials at the airport however, he claims he later discovered that the ticket had been cancelled after the man entered Fiji.
He says the man stayed at his home with one of his staff from the day he arrived and that, during the 36 days he spent there, he was provided with food and shelter.
The director says the man received training and assistance to learn the work and was taken to restaurants, shopping malls, functions and the temple for prayers.
He says they treated him like a member of the family.
Singh says the man signed a consent declaration authorising him to apply for a work permit, signed an employment contract and had his work permit application lodged with Fiji Immigration.
However, he claims that during the application process, he identified serious concerns with the documents provided by the man.
He alleges that two versions of the same medical report had the same reference number, handwriting and test results, but different examination dates, destinations and occupations.
The director says the first version listed the examination date as 21st September 2026, a week after the man had already arrived in Fiji, and stated that he was travelling to Oman to work as a storekeeper.
He claims the second version, submitted for the Fiji work permit application, had the date changed to 10th September, the destination changed to Fiji and the occupation changed to recruitment coordinator.
The director also alleges that the second version listed a doctor with the same name and registration number as the lawyer who notarised the man's papers, a detail he says did not appear in the first version.
He says nobody can have a medical examination in India while standing in Fiji, and that one medical report cannot have two dates, two countries and two jobs.
Singh says the documents are now with Fiji Immigration.
The director also questions what he describes as inconsistencies in the man's employment history and the position he expected to take up in Fiji.
He says the man's interview referred to an inventory auditor position in 2024, while his CV listed him as a senior logistics executive at Flipkart in India, with his current employment beginning in May 2025.
He says the medical document relating to Oman listed the occupation as storekeeper, while the version submitted for Fiji listed recruitment coordinator.
The director says the man has now told the media that recruitment officer was not the job he expected.
He also raises questions about the man's education history, saying his CV indicates that he completed his 10th standard in 2015 and started an engineering degree in the same year, without listing a 12th standard qualification.
Singh further questions the man's claim that he spent three years waiting for the Fiji job, saying his CV shows he was working at Amazon and then Flipkart during that period.
The director says he called the man at around 7pm on Monday, 19th October, and informed him that his work permit would not be approved and that he would not appeal the decision.
He says he told the man he had 21 days to leave Fiji with a valid return ticket and asked whether he had one, to which the man replied that he did.
According to the director, the man left the house the following Tuesday morning without informing anyone.
He says immigration officials contacted him later that day, after which he reported the matter to the department.
The director says Fiji Immigration is aware of the situation and that the Indian High Commission in Fiji has also been notified.
Responding to the allegation that the man was locked in, Singh says the man was free to leave and had accompanied him and others on outings during his stay.
Regarding the claim that the man received no assistance with living costs, Singh says he was provided with accommodation and food.
He also disputes the man's claim that none of the workers he referred secured employment, saying three of those workers are currently working in Fiji.
The director maintains that the recruitment coordinator position was stated in the medical report submitted for Fiji and in the employment contract signed by the man.
He says the man paid for his own return ticket but claims it was cancelled after he entered Fiji.
The director also questions the timing of the allegations, saying the man did not raise any complaints with him during the 36 days he stayed at his home.
He says all the complaints were made after the man was informed that his permit would not be approved and that he had to return home.
The director says Fiji Immigration informed him that the man had previously attempted to enter Fiji in 2024 but was refused entry and held for five days over an issue involving a return ticket.
He says he only learnt about the alleged 2024 incident from immigration and claims the man did not tell his staff about it during his stay.
Singh says he met with the man at the Indian High Commission this week to discuss the allegations.
He says he understood from the meeting that the man believed making a complaint would prevent him from being removed from Fiji.
The director says the man has also indicated that he does not want to leave Fiji.
He says that decision belongs to the authorities, not social media, and that all decisions regarding the man's immigration status and departure are being left to Fiji Immigration.
Singh says his offer of accommodation, food and support remains open until the man leaves Fiji.
He says he has also purchased a replacement ticket at his own expense for 2nd November, travelling via Hong Kong to Hyderabad, at a cost of around $3,500.
He says the ticket and accommodation offer were provided in writing to immigration, the Indian High Commission and the Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission on 22nd October.
He says that, as the man's sponsor, it is his responsibility to ensure he leaves safely and on time, and that he will follow Fiji Immigration's directions.
He adds that if the man feels unsafe or believes he has been threatened, he can report the matter to the police.
Singh says he will co-operate fully with the police, immigration and all relevant authorities.
He says the ticket has been booked and the accommodation remains available, urging the man to contact him or immigration so his departure can be arranged properly.
Meanwhile, the Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission has confirmed it is monitoring the case.
Commissioner Alefina Vuki says the Commission has received a complaint from the man concerning his recruitment to work in Fiji.
Vuki says the Commission has engaged with relevant authorities, including the High Commission of India, and is coordinating with them on the matter.
She says the Commission will continue to closely monitor developments in the case.
The Commission's confirmation comes after the man claimed to fijivillage News that he had lost more than $17,000 in connection with arrangements to work in Fiji and was allegedly threatened and confined at a residence in Koronivia.
Meanwhile, Police have confirmed they are working with relevant authorities to verify his allegations.
Questions have also been sent to the Fiji Immigration Department.
