Unverified domestic worker drugs woman in housing society, steals jewellery

New Delhi: Just two days after being hired by a family without police verification, a domestic worker drugged a mother and son in their flat at a housing society in northwest Delhi’s Rohini and stole her gold jewellery.

The incident took place on May 18 at Surya Apartments in Sector 13, where the woman, a 34-year-old astrologer, lives with her husband, son and other relatives. The domestic worker, who did not even provide any kind of identity card to the family, fled the scene and is untraceable.

According to an FIR registered at Prashant Vihar police station, the woman stated that she was returning home from the market at 8 am on May 16, when she noticed a young woman standing near the gate of the housing society and asking security guards whether they could help her find some work.

The young woman, who introduced herself as Reena, was hired by the astrologer as a domestic worker on a monthly salary of Rs 10,000. Her working hours were fixed from 7 am to 7 pm every day.

The family repeatedly asked Reena to furnish her Aadhaar card or show any other proof of identity, but she did not. Despite this, she was allowed to start work immediately. She worked till the evening of May 16, but did not report for duty the next day.

She returned to the house at 7.30 am on May 18, police said. At that time, the astrologer’s husband had gone to a hospital to get his father treated. Her son and she were alone at home with Reena.

She asked Reena to cook cheela for breakfast. Soon after breakfast at 8.30 am, both mother and son started feeling unwell. According to the FIR, Reena massaged the woman with oil and took her to the bathroom, where she gave her a bath when she started feeling worse.

It was then that Reena, taking advantage of the situation, stole the jewellery the woman was wearing, police said, adding the stolen items included a gold chain with a pendant, two gold rings and two gold earrings.

By the time the man returned home, both his wife and son were semi-conscious. He took them downstairs for treatment. Reena accompanied them briefly before leaving the premises of the housing society and melting into the crowd. The two were admitted to a hospital in Shalimar Bagh.

Police registered a case and are trying to trace the domestic worker, whose identity and whereabouts are yet to be verified, by scanning CCTV footage from the housing society and surrounding areas.