Panchkula police have found six to seven delivery personnel working for food-delivery, e-commerce and other companies who are facing criminal cases, prompting the department to seek explanations from the firms about their hiring and verification procedures.
The findings emerged from a special verification drive launched across the district to check the identities and backgrounds of delivery workers. Panchkula police commissioner Pankaj Nain told The Times of India that the department was writing to the companies concerned to ask what checks had been carried out before the workers were hired and why people with such backgrounds had been employed.
“Following our verification drive, we found six to seven people with criminal cases. This is a serious matter. We are writing to the companies asking what checks were conducted before hiring them and why persons with such backgrounds were employed,” Nain said.
Police teams from stations, police posts and special units collected information from delivery firms operating in the district. The exercise included checks of names, mobile numbers, permanent and present addresses, identity documents, company details and criminal records. Police also contacted company offices and obtained data relating to their riders.
Nain said police were compiling details of the cases and would prepare a comprehensive report before sharing further information. The department has also directed companies and agencies to maintain complete employee records and conduct periodic verification of their staff.
The police want the records to be updated when a delivery worker leaves one company and joins another. Officials said this would help authorities identify and trace individuals more effectively if required during an investigation. The requirement is significant for a workforce that moves between companies and regularly enters residential neighbourhoods as part of its work.
Delivery personnel have routine access to homes and apartment complexes across Panchkula, including residences occupied by senior citizens living alone. The verification drive therefore places the responsibility not only on police databases but also on the companies and agencies that recruit, deploy and track field staff.
Police officials said the exercise was intended to strengthen security and maintain an effective information network, rather than target any particular profession or group. The companies are expected to explain the background checks conducted during recruitment, whether criminal records were disclosed, what employee-verification systems are in place and how records are updated when riders change employers.
The department has not yet released details of the cases or identified the workers or companies involved. Further information is expected after the verification findings are compiled into a comprehensive report.
