The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Firms yet to implement security steps: police

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 14, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Firms yet to implement security steps: police

Staff Reporter

Police Commissioner met representatives of private companies recently

BANGALORE: Nearly seven months after the murder of Pratibha Murthy, an employee of a BPO (business process outsourcing) unit here, most companies are yet to implement security measures, according to Bangalore Police Commissioner Neelam Achut Rao.

Representatives of about 70 information technology and business process outsourcing companies participated in a meeting with Mr. Rao and other senior officers earlier this week. The objective of the meeting was to evaluate steps taken by companies to improve security for its employees after the murder of 28-year-old Pratibha.

Mr. Rao said that a majority of companies had not implemented the rule that vehicles engaged by business process outsourcing units should not have darkened windowpanes. He asked companies to implement this and other rules immediately.

If the owners of the vehicles hired by them were not implementing the rule, they should take action, he told company representatives. Pratibha, who was working in an HP call centre in Electronics City, was kidnapped, raped and murdered, allegedly by Shiva Kumar, driver of a vehicle engaged by the company to transport employees. The accused had allegedly taken Prathiba to an isolated area in Anjanapura New Layout, about 6 km from her house.

During the meeting with Mr. Rao, representatives of companies enquired about the reduction of fees for the "police verification certificate", which is Rs. 3,000. Senior officers said the matter was before the Government. They told companies that they need not pay for verification of antecedents of drivers and security staff. They asked the companies to regulate the working hours of drivers. Senior executives were told to conduct surprise checks of vehicles.

To ensure security of employees on the premises, companies were asked to install closed-circuit television and video cameras. Company representatives said they were ensuring that a security guard travelled in vehicles transporting employees between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. Telephone numbers of employees were not being given to drivers.

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