Students: Pvt firm has taken loans in our name

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: As many as a hundred college students from various colleges in Karnataka protested against CareerLab, a private firm that claims to help students craft careers, for allegedly swindling money and taking loans in their names without their consent.

The students alleged the firm of taking loans to the tune of Rs 2 lakh in their names, depending on their batch.

According to the students, the firm selected as many as 800 students during a campus interview that was held last November, promising them jobs in return.

The students also said they have paid five thousand each as a security deposit, confirming the joining of the programme, which the firm said was refundable.

While the firm provided them with jobs at Pratian Technologies Pvt Ltd in Bengaluru, the firm has also misused the digital signature of the students, to allegedly take loans on their names without their consent.

“They said we will be placed as permanent employees in the mentioned company after six months of training period. However, after a few days, they informed us that we have to pay an EMI of Rs 2,124 during the training period and the EMI after that will go up to Rs 12,613. But they never said about the loans they had taken”, said Chethan, one of the students.

Pratian Pvt Ltd forced us to work two more months from home and didn’t stand true to their words, they added.

“The CEO of Pratian has given us the word of cancellation of the loan without any penalty through the mail, however, they are ignoring it when asked”, said the students.

Further, they also alleged that the firm demands a penalty of Rs 50,000 in return for cancelling the loans. The Koramangala police registered the student’s complaint against CareerLab.

Meanwhile, the firm has asked for 45 days to address the issue.