Agencies providing household services in Chennai

Hi Everybody,

I am Prema and live in Chennai, India. I have a son and daughter: son living in Chennai and works in HP, daughter, married, living in Bangalore with her husband and a two-year old daughter, Jahnavi.

Recently, I had a terrifying experience looking out for a domestic servant who would be willing to go to Bangalore and help my daughter's family.

Please go through the following writ petition which was filed at the Saidapet Police Station:

To,

Kumaran Nagar Police Station,
West Saidapet,
Chennai 600 016

Please find herewith a complaint against the agency “World Wide Manpower”, located at the following address:

18/1, Karani Thottam,
Main Street,
West Saidapet,
Chennai 600 016

Manager: Ms Sujithra: Mobile: 99411 51648

I, Mrs. P. Kumar, am residing at the following address:

7, “Sea Shells”,
E-48, 17th Cross Street,
Besant Nagar
Chennai 600 090
Tel: 2491 8198
Cell: 94444 03142

On the 18th of November 2007, I saw an advertisement of the above Agency in Deccan Chronicle and requested them to provide a suitable person to work as a cook and take care of my daughter’s baby, at Bangalore.

The same afternoon, the agent, Ms Sujithra, came to my residence along with a woman named Kavita. Ms Sujithra assured us that this woman (Kavita) would be suitable for the job. I was informed that she had done a catering course and was previously employed with a family in Chennai and had to leave because the family moved to the UK.

The agency’s terms and conditions were that the employer should pay a registration fee of Rs. 500/- as well as an annual service fee of Rs. 4,500/ which would be the servant’s salary.

Based on Sujithra’s assurances I agreed to engage Kavita. Sujithra insisted on immediate payment of Rs 5000 (Rs 500 Registration Fee plus Rs 4,500 Service fee) which I paid on the assurance that a receipt will be handed over the next day. Further, I booked railway tickets for Kavita (one way to Bangalore) and Sujithra (to and fro ticket to Bangalore) for the following day, 19th of November.

However, on the 19th morning, I received a call from Ms Sujithra informing me that Kavita’s mother-in-law expired in Trichy and that she had to leave urgently and that she would provide a suitable replacement named Jamuna. I was asked to come to the Central Station and hand over the two tickets. I had no option except to do so.
Jamuna was received At K. R. Puram station by my daughter’s father-in-law and taken to my daughter’s home. But, the very next day, on 20th November morning, this woman Jamuna informed my daughter that she was not willing to work in my daughter’s place in Bangalore and asked to be sent back to Chennai. Moreover, whatever information she gave my daughter was contrary to what Ms Sujithra had said about her. This shows that Sujithra had lied and duped me.

Keeping the above in mind, I have decided to discontinue with their services and have asked Ms Sujithra to refund the registration fee as well as the annual fee. She has refused to reimburse the charges and has said that she would provide a replacement. My daughter and myself don’t trust her and do not want to have any association with her and the Agency. The baby is just 18 months old and we do not want to take any risk with an undependable agency.

I therefore request your good self to carry out an investigation on this Agency and help me recover the following amounts spent for Ms Sujithra and Ms Kavita:

Registration Fee: Rs. 500
Annual Fee: 4,500
Auto Charges 200
Rail Fare: (MADRAS – BANGALORE) 245
(BANGALORE – MADRAS) 185

Total 5,630


The copies of the train tickets booked for Sujithra and Kavita are enclosed.

Thank You.




Prema Kumar


November 21, 2007

FURTHER EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE AT THE POLICE STATION

The inspector-in-charge of the Police Station at Saidapet summoned Ms Sujithra for interrogation. At first, she was reluctant to come to the police station and said that her agency is a very honourable one and has won many awards in Malaysia for their services. However, she promised to come the next day along with her advocate as well as the registration papers of her agency. She also informed the inspector that she had earlier sent a servant by the name of Bhagyalakshmi who worked with my daughter at her Bangalore residence for a month and that she was sacked and thrown out on the streets without her salary.

This was a lie and the inspector asked her to produce the agreement which was supposed to have been signed by the employer and the employee. We knew this agency only since the 18th of November after having seen an advertisement in the Deccan Chronicle dated 18-11-2007.

During the interrogation, the inspector received a call from another customer (a retired DSP) who faced similar problems with this agency. This was a divine intervention and the women could do nothing but to reimburse part of their deposit.

I have also observed that these women operate under various aliases. For instance, the women Ms Sujithra is also known as Rajeswari and Kavita is also known as Darshini.

___________________________________________________________________

This is an earnest request to all customers who are looking for domestic help to perform a thorough investigation of the agency they engage to provide domestic services or else they will be duped and robbed of valuable time and money.