Cops check Pune call centre cabs

It took the rape and murder of Wipro call centre employee 22-year-old Jyoti Kumari Choudhary by her pick-up car driver and his friend last Thursday to spur the Pune police to take action. But all they did on Sunday night, when they carried out a search operation of cars ferrying employees of BPO units and call centres in the city, was to check whether their drivers were adhering to safety rules and security of employees and let them go with a warning. A total of 54 BPO cars were checked during the night-long drive. The drive continued till early Monday.

According to the traffic branch, most such cars were found without security guards, which, they said was a cause for concern. ACP Control Rambhau Thorat said the drive was carried out in Hinjewadi and Ramwadi octroi posts in the city under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police Zone III Chandrashekar Daithankar.

A senior traffic branch official said the cars were travelling at breakneck speed after midnight. 8220;Such driving is reckless and the security was too lax. Vehicle contractors who tie up with BPO firms and call centres should rein in their drivers and educate them.8221;