Be alert while employing people, police tell traders

MUMBAI: The city police on Monday appealed to traders in the city to be extra vigilant in employing people at their establishments after detecting the involvement of employees in at least two big robbery cases.
    
"We will formulate some mechanism soon and hold discussions with the trade associations on the subject. The traders can approach us to get a character verification before employing people. If not, the traders should at least keep their (employees') photographs with them," Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) K L Prasad said.
    
The comments came on a day when the police announced the arrest of four people, including an employee for looting diamonds worth Rs ten crore and also three employees of a jewellery shop for decamping with ornaments worth Rs 32 lakh.
    
Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra R R Patil said that the shop owner in the diamond robbery case had not taken enough care.
    
Asked if the police is thinking of making it mandatory for traders to register their employees, a top police official said the authorities are apprehensive about protests from the traders' lobby against such a step.