Police recommend mandatory verification of domestic help

Kolkata: Kolkata Police recommended mandatory verification of household employees through its digital registration system, after it was found that domestic help and caregivers have figured in nearly one-third of the theft cases reported in the city in the past

couple of months.

This was roughly 31 per cent of the total, an officer reportedly said, adding that the statistics by the Detective Department was internally shared among the personnel and not for the media.

It was learnt that a total of 104 theft cases were reported across the city in December and January, and in 32 of these cases, the involvement of domestic help and caregivers was found.

In December, domestic help and caregivers were involved in 15 of the 50 household theft cases reported, and arrests were made. In January, their involvement was found in 17 of the 54 cases registered.

The trend, according to a news agency, has continued in February, with three of the 11 cases registered in the first week allegedly linked to domestic staff.

“The pattern underlines growing vulnerability within residential premises, particularly homes with elderly residents,” the officer explained, reported the news agency.

In one of the most serious recent incidents, a female senior citizen was murdered at Behala, allegedly by her former caregiver. “Employees having no verification of identity pose a significant security risk, and we are appealing to residents to complete ‘Domestic Help Profile’ registration, either through the Kolkata Police ‘Bondhu’ mobile application or the official website,” the officer said.

In case of elderly citizens who are not tech savvy, their children or younger members of the family must be approached for assistance as these measures should not be delayed, the officer reportedly said. The form seeks detailed information about workers, including identity proof, permanent address and photographs, which can help in background checks and faster investigation in case of offences, he said.

Timely verification and documentation of domestic workers could also act as a deterrent and significantly reduce the chances of theft and other crimes within households, it was stated.