Women Safety: BPO Firms Get 2 Months

New Delhi, Feb 16 : Delhi Police on Tuesday extended for another 60 days its order that makes it mandatory for BPOs, and corporate and media houses to drop women employees at their homes during night hours.

The order, which defines night hours from 8pm to 7am, also makes it compulsory for the employers to ensure that a

security guard accompanies the woman employee to her residence and ensure her safe arrival if the office vehicle cannot drop her right outside her house.

The order, which was first issued on December 8, 2010, in the wake of the rape of a BPO employee from Mizoram, also suggests installation of global positioning systems (GPS) in the cabs used by the employees, especially women employees within two months.

The order was issued under Section 144 of CrPC and the employers violating the order are liable to be punished under Section 188 (disobedience of an official order) of Indian Penal Code, which entails an imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of Rs 1,000 or both.

In the order, RC Saini, assistant commissioner of police, sub-division, Ashok Vihar, said that all offices should maintain a database of all employees, security personnel, cab drivers and contractual workers working with them, for access by the police as and when required.

Saini said the companies should ensure that women employees are not made to travel alone with the cab driver and a duly verified security guard or a male colleague is invariably deployed in each cab.