Booty recovered from Ravinder Kaur Luthra’s killer, her domestic help Nikku. Picture by Amit Datta

Jolted by the murder of Ravinder Kaur Luthra in a highrise apartment, scores of Calcuttans queued up at police stations on Friday to register the profiles of their domestic help.

Following the murder of an elderly couple in a building on Camac Street in 2005, police have repeatedly asked householders to provide information about their help to police, drawing little response.

The Luthra murder, at the hands of her help, has changed that. “I have never seen such urgency to fill up the servant registration form,” remarked an officer of a city police station on Friday.

Nowhere was the fear more palpable than at Ballygunge, where the Luthras live. “Several turned up at Ballygunge police station to register the profiles of their servants. They have realised the importance of doing so and this will help us in preventing crime,” deputy commissioner (south) Ajoy Kumar told Metro.

An officer of Ballygunge police station corroborated the trend. “Given the response, we will have to print a new set of registration form,” he observed. Those who did not bring photographs of their help told the cops that they would return on Saturday.

Residents of other areas were also prompt in filling up the forms, according to Kumar. The scene was much the same at Lake, Park Street, Tollygunge and Shakespeare Sarani thanas.

“Twelve people, including six women, visited the police station today and asked for the servant registration form. They filled it at the police station and even provided photographs of the helps,” stated an officer of Lake police station.

An officer of Shakespeare Sarani police station also said many visited the thana on Friday to inquire about the process of registering their help.

Deputy commissioner (detective department) Gyanwant Singh welcomed the development. “Better late than never,” he remarked.