Verification for cracking cases, not safety

Two days ago, TOI highlighted the farcical nature of police's verification process for cab drivers.They go by a driver's claim and do not carry out any field check for issuing a character certificate. But it turns out that the system for verifying domestic helps and tenants is no better.

Police have a point when they say that most people in the city do not follow rules for mandatory verification of tenants and helps although these two groups have been involved in a number of crimes. Till November this year, Delhi Police received requests to verify the background of only 24,423 domestic helps and 1.37 lakh tenants even though the forms are free to download from its website.

Landlords and employers who have been through the process told TOI it is tedious and there are no apparent benefits for them. A businessman from east Delhi said his tenant from Jharkhand took offence when he asked for verification documents, but several months after accepting his form police have not in formed him whether his tenant is clean. “I have the details of their voter-ID card and driving licence.But it's been some months now and police have not told me anything.“

Police blame the delay on the tardy functioning of their counterparts in other states. Since most domestic helps and tenants are from outside Delhi, complete verification is only possible through records available with their home states.

A senior police officer said the papers have to be sent to different states. “It also depends on the priorities of the district police concerned. Often, we don't get a reply for 10 days and then suddenly , if an officer gets transferred, the new officer clears the papers in a day ,“ said Rajan Bhagat, police spokesperson.

Bhagat said the basic objective of `verification' is that police should have a photo and other details of the person whose background is to be checked, so that they can be caught easily if they commit a crime.

But that's no consolation for a person whose tenant or help has robbed, raped or murdered someone in the family . The whole point of verification is to have peace of mind, to know that a stranger working or living under their roof does not have a crime record and is not dangerous.

Bhagat said the process will become easier and quicker once it goes completely online.