Hyderabad police urge mandatory verification of domestic workers

Hyderabad police have reported 565 servant theft cases in two years, urging residents to make police verification of domestic workers mandatory. Jubilee Hills recorded the highest cases, with IT professionals, senior citizens, and students living alone identified as prime targets.

Hyderabad: Amid a rise in servant theft cases, the Hyderabad City Police have urged residents to make police verification of domestic workers a mandatory practice before hiring them. It further warned that employer negligence in conducting background checks was leading to property offences.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner, VC Sajjanar said that according to data, 565 servant theft cases were registered across the city during the last two years, including 65 grave offences and 500 non-grave cases.

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“The IT professionals, students living alone, senior citizens and business establishments have emerged as the most vulnerable targets,” he said.

A zone-wise analysis revealed that Jubilee Hills recorded the highest number of cases at 173, followed by Secunderabad (88), Khairatabad (77), Golconda (70), Rajendranagar (63), Shamshabad (49) and Charminar (45).

The police said domestic workers involved in such crimes often gain the confidence of employers over time before studying their daily routines, identifying places where valuables and keys are kept, and observing CCTV blind spots. In some recent instances, organised gangs from other states and even abroad allegedly entered homes posing as domestic workers before committing thefts.

Residents should collect Aadhaar or other valid identity documents, recent photographs, permanent address details and contact numbers of prospective employees. Employers have also been asked to verify previous employment records, complete police verification before hiring, and closely monitor new workers during the initial weeks of employment, the Hyderabad CP (Commissioner of Police) added.

The police also urged Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and gated communities to maintain entry registers, issue identity cards or passes to domestic workers and ensure CCTV surveillance systems remain operational.

Citizens were urged to immediately report suspicious activity, missing keys or the unexplained disappearance of domestic workers by calling Dial 100 or the Hyderabad City Police WhatsApp Helpline at 94906 16555.