The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Look before you leap

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Look before you leap

Staff Reporter

Some dos and don’ts while checking into PGs

BANGALORE: The paying guest hostel fraud unearthed by the Ashoknagar police recently is apparently an eye-opener for women seeking admissions into such hostels, which are mushrooming all over the city.

Hemalatha (27), who runs a paying guest hostel for women in BTM Layout, was arrested last week for allegedly creating fake documents and opening bank accounts in the names of 13 women who had earlier stayed at her hostel. On the strength of the fake documents and by using the photographs of these women without their knowledge, she had borrowed Rs. 64 lakh in their names from two banks.

Though none of these women got into legal wrangles, the police opine that people, particularly women, seeking admission into paying guest hostels should be cautious.

To ensure that they do not land in trouble because of others, women seeking PG accommodation should first make some enquiries about those running the establishment and also the area in which it is situated, says Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Gopal B. Hosur. After joining the hostel, the women should have with them the telephone numbers of the jurisdictional police station or inspector so that they can immediately get in touch with the police in case of an emergency, Mr. Hosur suggests.

According to the police, no major crimes have been reported from paying guest hostels in the city. In a couple of cases, some new entrants to the hostels had made away with cash and valuables from the suitcases of their roommates, they said.

The police said they had not received any complaints of women staying in paying guest hostel being victims of crime because of the absence of safety and security at the hostel. However, some unscrupulous elements have been arrested on charges of running brothels in the guise of PGs, they said.

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