Kochi: BJP Worker with British Citizenship Arrested for Rs. 22 Lakh Poland Job Fraud

Kochi: A man originally from Changanassery, a town in Kottayam, Kerala, has been arrested for allegedly defrauding nine people of Rs. 22 lakh by promising them jobs in Poland through a UK-based consulting firm. The accused, Luxon F. Augustine, 45, holds British citizenship and was taken into custody by the Ernakulam South Police.

According to police officials, Luxon is a native of Kurichy near Changanassery and had previously worked as an Assistant Engineer with the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) in Ettumanoor. He had resigned from the government job and moved to Europe with his family. However, financial troubles forced him to return to Kerala from London. Luxon is now accused of orchestrating a recruitment scam under the banner of his UK-registered company, Zion Consulting Limited Europe and UK, which he claimed was engaged in employment recruitment for Poland.

The police say that Luxon falsely advertised job openings in Poland and collected large sums of money from unsuspecting victims. The complaint that led to his arrest was filed by Ashwin Pathros, a resident of Panampilly Nagar in Kochi. Ashwin initially fell victim to the scam himself, believing that Luxon could provide him a job in Poland. Later, he helped publicize the opportunity via social media and word-of-mouth among friends and acquaintances. This led to nine people transferring a total of Rs. 22 lakh into Luxon’s account between January 1 and December 4, 2023, in hopes of securing employment overseas.

When neither the jobs nor the promised travel arrangements materialized, Ashwin, along with the other victims, approached the police. A case was registered in 2024 under charges of cheating and financial fraud, leading to Luxon's arrest.

Police investigations have also revealed that Luxon has a controversial background. He had contested as an independent candidate in the 2017 British parliamentary elections, but lost. Originally a Congress party worker, Luxon reportedly joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently and has claimed in his statement to the police that he received his party membership directly from Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

Further complicating matters, Luxon is already an accused in two other criminal cases in Kochi — a sexual harassment case registered at the Ernakulam North Police Station and another financial fraud case at the Central Police Station. He also has political connections, being the nephew of K.F. Varghese, who serves as Vice Chairman of the Kerala Congress (Joseph group).

The arrest was carried out by a police team led by Ernakulam South Circle Inspector P.R. Santosh, with assistance from SI Kiran, SCPO A.M. Vinod, and CPOs V.S. Sharath and Charles. Luxon is currently in police custody as further investigation continues into the extent of the fraud and whether more victims are involved.