Guards Hired Sans Background Checks
Published: 13th November 2015 05:19 AM | Last Updated: 13th November 2015 05:19 AM | A+A A-
BENGALURU: The security agency, whose two security guards at Cubbon Park raped a 30-year-old woman on Wednesday, hired them without any background checks.
Confirming it, Mahantesh Murugod, deputy director, horticulture department, Cubbon Park, said, “No proper background checks of the guards were done by the outsourced company.”
According to the police, 24 security guards, employed by Pawan Security Agency, work in three shifts in the park. They are paid `8,000 per month, and they work for other companies after duty hours to make more money.
A senior police official said, “As per the norms, a security agency has to take the permission of the internal security department of the state. Only then will a licence be issued to it. Later, the company has to get an NOC (no objection certificate) of the employee from his town and should produce it before the respective jurisdictional police where he works. The local police have to communicate with the police from where the employee hails from and check his background. The job aspirant will have to produce copies of both these NOCs to the employer. Only then can the employer consider hiring the person. But in this specific case, we will ascertain as to whether the background of these employees was verified after we receive the medical reports of the victim.”
“If it is found that the hiring agency has not checked the antecedents of the guards, we will write a letter to the internal security wing asking it to suspend the licence of the company.”
A security guard who was on duty said, “One person from Bihar has been working with Pawan Security Agency since two years. He has earned the trust of the company executives. He brings human resources from Assam, Bihar and other parts. No police background check was done when we joined here.”
Umesh, president, Cubbon Park Walkers Association, said, “On June 21, we had filed a complaint with the horticulture department seeking proper security at the park. But there has been no response”.