Chennai: Private security agencies in the city have come under scrutiny for their guard verification and deployment practices—gaps have been flagged in background checks, especially among unregistered firms.Police are questioning the private security agency about its recruitment practices after Satyendra, a guard employed at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), was arrested in connection with the triple murder in Taramani. While none of the accused had any known criminal antecedents, police said private agencies tend to recruit personnel through referrals without police verification.On the private security agency licensing portal under the ministry of home affairs, 2,162 security agencies received licences in TN. Of these, 1,221 agencies had active licences, and licences have expired for 941 of them. “Small agencies run without licences in the state and city. These should be monitored by the respective police stations,” said Rajiv Kumar, secretary, central association of private security industry. Registered firms train recruits over 21 days. They are required to ensure proper documentation and verification before deploying guards. “Agencies must apply for verification and get an acknowledgement of receipt. Guards may be temporarily deployed, but clearance must be received within 15 days. However, a crime could be committed in this gap,” said a private security agency owner.“Agencies collect Aadhaar, along with address certificate or proof issued by local panchayat. But it is hard to check for fakes,” he added.
