New Delhi: Trust, at times, can come at a steep price. In Delhi, employees entrusted with household keys and daily routines are increasingly coming under police scrutiny for allegedly betraying their employers.
Till Aug this year, 69 people have been arrested in employee-related thefts and 62 cases registered while in 2025, police recorded 139 arrests and 111 cases – a total of 208 arrests in 173 cases in 18 months. In June, thieves stole valuables worth nearly Rs 1 crore from a Karol Bagh mobile phone shop. Police arrested four men within 24 hours, including 24-year-old Ravi, a trusted employee who allegedly masterminded the heist. The masked men held the businessman, his wife, daughter-in-law and minor grandson hostage for nearly 15 minutes, assaulting and threatening them before fleeing with cash and jewellery worth Rs 25-30 lakh.
The motives for such crimes vary, ranging from financial distress and mounting debts to unfulfilled aspirations and the desire to lead a high-end lifestyle, according to police. The thieves used a duplicate key and wore masks, while Ravi posed as an innocent employee and witness the following morning, said cops. Police said some gangs use forged documents or recommendations to place a member in a household. Police said a domestic help, hired barely a week earlier using a fake identity and without verification, allegedly opened the main gate for the armed gang.
In some cases, employees are allegedly lured by organised gangs that exploit their access to employers’ homes, valuables and daily routines to plan and execute thefts. The employee then allegedly spends days or weeks studying the family’s routine before helping other gang members gain entry and escape with valuables. In April, a businessman’s family was held hostage during a dacoity at their Golf Links bungalow in Lutyens’ Delhi.
A senior police officer said the lack of verification makes it difficult to establish employees’ criminal backgrounds or determine whether the documents they submit are genuine. This can help trace them,” an officer said. Police have often asked employers to verify the antecedents of domestic workers before hiring them. “Employers must also maintain details such as family contacts, Aadhaar cards, home addresses and bank details.