Following the attack on a woman in her flat in Purasawakkam by her recently-appointed domestic help, Dilip, the focus has turned to the efficiency of the verification programme of the city police for domestic helps.
Police claim residents fail to check the antecedents of individuals before appointing them “Since 2006, we have been asking people to verify their domestic helps. But no one does it,” points out a police officer.
As Dilip was appointed through an agent, police say employers should take adequate care when they recruit people through such organisations. “Residents should take the local police station's help in verifying the antecedents of the individual.
The organisations should ensure all their candidates have no-objection certificates before recommending them to clients.
The police should maintain a database. This would act as a deterrent,” a retired police officer suggests.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Domestic Workers Union is planning to start a website which will have the details of their members.
“We have around 3,000 registered members in Chennai alone. But there are more than 10 lakh helps who are not part of our union,” says sister Clarammal, coordinator of the Union.
She says once the website is launched, people can contact them for recruiting help.
Political murders
stun residents
The city witnessed the brutal murder of two members of political parties in Madipakkam and Kilpauk.
The murders were a fallout of rivals’ attempts to settle scores in full public view.
The killings were not politically motivated but personal disputes which spilled to the streets.
On the morning of May 20, VCK functionary Vetrichelvan (47), also the personal assistant to party supremo Thol. Thirumavalavan, was attacked by a gang with lethal weapons while returning from his morning walk.
The politician sought to escape from his assailants inside an eatery but the gang injured the cook there and murdered their target.
Even more shocking was the fact that the gang, fleeing in a black sedan despite a flat tyre, knocked down a motorist, a still photographer at Medavakkam.
He is now in a critical condition at a hospital. The assailants have been arrested and motive has been ascertained to be a property dispute.
Two days later, Kuttiyappan Street on Medavakkam Tank Road in Kilpauk was the site of the brutal murder of AIADMK functionary Ravi alias Auto Ravi.
Three men including a history sheeter Satish Kumar based in TP Chatram were arrested by investigators within days. A disagreement between Ravi and Satish is said to have sparked the killing.
May also saw three murders for gain of women.
The victims include an elderly victim in Manali and a dentist, who was smothered to death at her clinic, on the afternoon of May 6 in Mogappair. Sangeetha, the 32-year-old dentist, was killed in the afternoon by an unidentified person who could have posed as a patient. A man involved in a prostitution racket is under the police radar in connection with the killing but no progress has been made three weeks after the killing.
(Reporting by
Vivek Narayanan and
Petlee Peter)
