Domestic help, caregivers behind 35 out of 115 thefts since Dec 2025
Times of India | 8 February 2026
Kolkata: A study conducted by Kolkata Police found out that around 31 percent of all recent thefts in the city involved servants and caregivers. The study was led by the detective department.
According to sources, a total of 104 thefts were reported between Dec and Jan. Out of these, 32 cases involved maids, servants and caregivers. In Feb, so far involvement of maids was found in 3 out of 11 thefts. In Dec, 15 of the 50 thefts involved servants and caregivers. In Jan, out of the 54 cases, police pinned suspicion on servants on 17 occasions. The heinous of all crimes was, though, the murder of a female senior citizen by her former caregiver at Behala Natunpara.
The police shared real-life examples of how several of these household thefts could have been avoided. "Take the example of a house theft in Bhowanipore last month. The employer needed a replacement for a few days as their long-term help was going on long leave. They believed in word of mouth, and one Raju Yadav became the replacement. No background check was completed. Raju was one of the notorious thieves of Bihar. We nabbed him at last," said a police source. Police also shared another example from south Kolkata, where a victim reported theft by a male servant on Bhai Phonta.
"The accused provided an Aadhaar card, when he joined work through an agency. However, within a month, he agreed to a pay cut, saying it was better if the employer employed him directly without involvement of the agency. When police chased him after the crime, they arrested him from Jeevantala in South 24 Parganas, though his Aadhaar card claimed he was from Bihar," said an officer, stating the importance of background checks and taking agency help to fix responsibility. Police and citizens agreed the biggest issue lay in completing the verification details of caregivers and maids. "While several citizens still see no merit in background checks, there are also complications of the verification taking longer than expected," said a senior officer.
Second, most fly-by-night agencies tended to skip crucial security steps in order to cut costs. "People who engage them trust agencies blindly, even though the employees come from far-flung areas. Perhaps a local recruit, who gained repute through word of mouth and whose basic details are with multiple employers, is a major safety net," said an officer. Lalbazar hinted that they were mulling action on all fly-by-night agencies that were skipping crucial verifications. Third, there were instances when employers asking for details of the caregivers faced "trust issues". They often refused to submit their identity documents and threatened to quit the job if the employer insisted. "In most such situations, the senior citizen has no choice but to hire help without any identity proof or the scope for a background check," claimed Anirban Chatterjee, a Jadavpur resident, who hired two caregivers for his elderly parents.
"Periodic police campaigns convinced many employers to follow the norms advised, but the message did not seem to have reached the end," said an OC. "A few simple steps need to be followed to stop the chances of becoming victims of such crimes. This includes locking the almirahs, getting the servants verified, and avoiding financial discussions in front of them," said a senior officer from the anti-burglary section at Lalbazar.