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Crimes that can be averted

If only people take some precautions in the best of their interests, feels Devesh K. Pandey

Incidents of crime perpetrated by domestic helps and employees in Delhi can certainly be averted, but only when people start taking the issue of their own security a bit more seriously and extend all necessary support to the police in carrying out their duty of maintaining law and order.

Earlier this week, Charanjeet Kaur, a middle-aged wife of a well-to-do businessman, fell prey to her own servants at her Raj Niwas Marg bungalow in North Delhi. Finding her alone in the house, the two allegedly overpowered and stabbed her to death before one of them decamped with Rs. 22 lakhs in cash that was kept in the house.

The Delhi Police cracked the case within hours by recovering the entire amount from the two arrested servants. Even though the family would one day get back their money, nothing can now bring the deceased back. "If people pay heed to our appeals in their own interest and take some precautions, such incidents can be prevented," says a senior police officer.

Police investigations into the Raj Niwas Marg case revealed that Charanjeet's family showed a casual approach towards handling money. It becomes amply clear from the fact that it had kept such a huge amount in the house and that too in a wooden almirah that could easily be broken by anyone.

"From time to time we keep appealing to the public not to exhibit their wealth in front of their domestic helps, employees or any unknown person. They are also advised to keep valuables in bank lockers. But unfortunately it appears that all our efforts to sensitise the people go in vain," said the senior police officer.

The police learnt that Charanjeet's servants were in the know of the money kept in the house. During interrogation they allegedly disclosed that the mere prospect of making quick money led them to commit the offence. Like in several similar cases in the past, the employers had not got the antecedents of the two accused verified by the police. This happened despite the police holding frequent meetings with various residents' welfare associations and publishing advertisements in a bid to convince people to get their domestic helps verified.

While in most cases servant verification has acted as an effective deterrent, it has been noticed that many people, especially senior citizens who are the most vulnerable, are not comfortable with the idea of servant verification as they fear that their domestic help would quit the job rather than part with their personal details.

Blaming the police entirely for such incidents may be an easy way out, but many feel that the onus is ultimately on the employers. They should not shrug away their share of responsibility when the police have been trying to do their bit.

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Crimes that can be averted

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