Be careful about letting strangers into house: Cops
Times of India | 24 June 2025
Kolkata: Beware of letting service providers — from scrap dealers and courier agents to hired car drivers — access your home: Kolkata Police and service agencies across the city have advised clients following the murder of a 76-year-old woman by a scrap dealer in Bowbazar. Cops have also asked agencies to caution their employees and run thorough background checks before hiring. TOI has written about how the demand for service providers has increased manifold over the months in the city. A 53-year-old scrap dealer was recently for allegedly murdering Namita Paul, who lived alone on Serpentine Lane. Paul was trying to sell household items and neighbours said scrap dealers had constantly visited her house. The accused allegedly used this opportunity to gain entry into her house at least thrice before he murdered her.Earlier this year, a driver hired from an agency every week for four months to take a Charu Market area resident for dialysis, attacked the 71-year-old woman at home and robbed her jewellery. Another driver was arrested for killing an elderly man at his Nagerbazar home . "It is better to run a thorough background check of these persons and inform cops of suspicious movement by any of them,"an officer said.