Bengaluru's gated communities debate checks on domestic staff; police verification now mandatory in some complexes

Gated communities are widely regarded as safe havens, with CCTV cameras and round-the-clock security giving residents a sense of reassurance.

Yet, high attrition among guards and the steady influx of domestic help— cooks, gardeners and drivers — have brought safety concerns to the fore. In response, many housing complexes now mandate background checks, with some insisting on police verification amid rising cases involving illegal immigrants.


The move, however, has not found universal support. Nima Srinivasan, founder of Berylitics, who conducted a dipstick study, says many women — who typically hire domestic help — are unconvinced that police verification can address a problem that’s serious enough to warrant a blanket rule.

Some women consider police verification of domestic help unnecessary and impractical and trust their personal judgement more than checks run by the cops.

“When probed, it emerged that they trust their intuitive judgement while recruiting help and see that as a sufficient safeguard,” notes Nima.

City-wise, too, trends differ. While in Delhi and Noida more women opt for police verification out of insecurity over employing a stranger, in Bengaluru such concerns are fewer.

Many homes in Bengaluru employ multiple domestic workers — such as house help, drivers and cooks — making verification a challenging ongoing process rather than a one-time exercise.

Some women say police verification can be made mandatory, but unless residents see clear benefits, they may be reluctant to comply.

Rajani Vaidya of Mantri Greens Apartments in Malleswaram supports police verification. “Domestic help often change phone numbers, making it hard to trace their records. If they steal or don’t repay loans, we must go to the police,” she says, adding that verification could prevent such hassles.

She believes that in a big city, with unfamiliar neighbours and workers around, word of mouth is just not enough.


Safety gaps surface: Not enough background checks

A young couple from Koramangala was in for a shock recently, as the nanny they had employed was a suspect in multiple cases of theft. She would check in and out of the complex, avoiding the main gate.

“We had a harrowing time worrying about whether she would have harmed our baby or would have stolen anything,” says Savitha Chandan (name changed).

Prestige Acropolis in Koramangala recently issued warnings against two domestic workers after it was found there were police cases against them.

Though these might be isolated incidents, they do flag potential gaps in safety management at large complexes.

Workers staying in apartments

Apartments often prohibit workers from overnight stays inside the flats during renovation.

However, a growing concern involves workers brought in from other states for specialised jobs, says an apartment committee member in East Bengaluru. “In some cases, workers stay in the flats before the owners move in. These outsiders roaming around at night and drinking create security issues,” he says.

Housing society swings into action

At Godrej Nurture, a 686-unit apartment located in Electronics City Phase 1, household staff must complete document verification by March 12. They must submit a govt-issued identity proof from their native place, and a police verification certificate, along with one passport-size photograph.

The housing society has issued a circular, stating that from March 19 onwards, entry into the premises will not be permitted without a valid physical ID card. Residents are also required to register their domestic workers on an in-house app.

Police verification is cumbersome

Verification processes invariably become challenging, leaving residents and house help frustrated.

“We live in a nuclear family. Amid juggling work and caregiving responsibilities, we find it hard to navigate the verification process,” says Khushboo Gupta, who lives in an apartment in Koramangala.

Domestic help who work in multiple homes find it equally challenging. They must visit the jurisdictional police station along with records such as Aadhar card, Voter ID, PAN or passport, and submit a duly filled form to the police station, along with attached letters from their employers. One can either collect the application form from the police stations or download it from the Bengaluru City Police website.

“If there is a centralised system or place where we can check past records or verifications, it will be helpful,” says Gupta, adding that she wouldn’t mind even if it’s a paid service.


VOICE BOX

“House help, drivers and caretakers of infants and senior citizens should get police verification done through a portal to avoid needless delays and procedural bottlenecks. Those who are verified should be paid better. Also, higher wages may motivate house help to register voluntarily and get the verification done by themselves.

Then, the onus of keeping unverified domestic help will be on residents.

Anuradha Sinha, SECRETARY, FERNS PARADISE, MAHADEVAPURA

Safety shouldn’t come at the cost of dignity or practicality. If ID proof and verification are mandatory, apartment managements — not residents or domestic workers — must organise and facilitate those. A coordinated verification drive with local police would ensure compliance in a streamlined, fair and humane manner.

Security is fool proof when it is systematic and thoughtfully implemented.

Radhika Margabandhu, RESIDENT, GODREJ NURTURE, ELECTRONICS CITY, PHASE 1

It’s unlikely that residents hiring domestic help would be willing to shell out the cost of police verification and take that extra effort to ensure compliance.

Nima Srinivasan, FOUNDER, BERYLITICS, A CONSUMER INSIGHTS AGENCY

“Many foreign nationals and migrants work in Bengaluru apartments. It may not be easy for residents to run a background check on all of them.

To manage this, police verification could be helpful.

Vanita Vyas, FORMER MC MEMBER, NAGARJUNA MAPLE HEIGHTS APARTMENT, MAHADEVAPURA

“Many of us leave our house keys with them to get household work completed. If the maid is not trustworthy, this can be quite risky.

Nannies who double up as house help must have police verification certificates.

Chitra Rao, RESIDENT, SNN RAJ GREENBAY, ELECTRONICS CITY

“Most domestic workers and gardeners here are from nearby villages, and have worked with us for years. They are dependable and treated like extended family. A blanket verification rule would harass them and burden residents.

Police checks should be limited to specific cases —such as new hires without references — not imposed across the board.

Swaminathan Gopalan (RESIDENT, SOBHA ALTHEA AND AZALEA OWNERS' ASSOCIATION AND PRESIDENT, YELAHANKA CLUSTER, BANGALORE APARTMENTS' FOUNDATION)


With inputs from Rajiv.Kalkod@timesofindia.com