Daijiworld Media Network - Kochi

Kochi, Oct 30: In a major development in the Rs 3.5 crore education recruitment scam that rocked Kochi, Ernakulam police have arrested Kishore Kumar Rayimol, the second accused in the case, after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the court.

The scam, which revolves around a foreign education recruitment firm - Empire Overseas Education - has so far led to two arrests, while 13 individuals have been named in the police FIR.

The prime accused, identified as Sujith, is currently lodged in jail, while several others remain absconding. Rayimol, listed as the fourth accused, was apprehended in Thiruvananthapuram following an extensive investigation spanning several months.

According to police sources, Empire Overseas Education, a Kochi-based firm assisting students with foreign university admissions, became the target of an internal financial conspiracy.
Sujith, who joined the company in 2018 as an office boy, gradually gained the trust of the management and began overseeing key financial operations. Over time, he and his associates allegedly diverted company funds, leaked confidential documents, and even poached clients by launching rival businesses.

Investigations have revealed that Rayimol worked closely with Sujith, helping to establish parallel ventures using stolen company data. Police suspect that the fraud was part of a larger network aimed at financially crippling the original company.

Authorities have confirmed that further arrests are likely as the probe deepens into what appears to be a well-planned corporate fraud within Kerala’s education consultancy sector.