Lucknow, Sep 13: Four students of two private engineering colleges have alleged that they were tricked into escort services after being hired for tuition by an online agency. They said they were forced to give body massage to women. According to the students, the agency threatened and blackmailed them when they complained. The agency also took Rs 30,000 from each in the name of providing a job.

According to the complaint, the students found 'home tuitions' advertisement for college students on the internet. They registered themselves along with Rs 10,000 fee and appeared for a telephonic interview. The tuition-provider company also took details of their bank, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. The students were then asked to deposit Rs 20,000 as security money. Once the amount was paid, they were given 'tuition task'; however, what happened next left them shocked.

One of the complainants said when he reached the address given by the agency, he found it was a starred hotel. “I reached there carrying notebooks and pens for giving tuition but what I got was appalling. In the dim-lit room, suddenly I was surrounded by women speaking in a husky voice. I guessed that I was not at the right place," he told the police, as reported by Times of India.

"In the meanwhile, a woman came to me and shoved me into another room which was completely dark. I was asked to give body massage to the women reclining on couches and bed," he added in the complaint. Other students also experienced the same situation. When they called the numbers given by the agency, they were, and that their social media and other accounts would be hacked, they alleged.

Helpless students then filed a complained in the cyber cell of the Lucknow police. “We are tracing the phone numbers to track the location of callers and then will start ground operations," cyber cell in charge Abhay Mishra told the newspaper.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 13, 2018 01:27 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).