A 23-year-old woman was raped by a security guard at a rented flat in Ahmedabad’s Jodhpur village on Saturday night, August 8. The accused, identified as Dharam Singh, was arrested by Ahmedabad Police on August 9 after an intensive search.
The investigation has now raised serious questions about how the security agency hired and deployed the guard. Police found that Singh had joined the company only four days before the alleged incident and had not received the required formal training.
The investigation also found that the security agency employing him had been operating without a valid licence for around four months.
Guard had joined the company only four days earlier
According to the police investigation, Dharam Singh was a newly appointed guard with A One Security Company. He had joined the agency just four days before the incident.
Police said he had not received formal training before being deployed for security duty.
The appointment of the guard has therefore become an important part of the investigation. Police questioned Ramprakash Tiwari, owner of A One Security Company, about how Singh was recruited and whether the required procedures were followed before he was sent for duty.
What happened on the night of August 8
According to the sequence of events being investigated by police, the incident took place on the terrace of a residential building in Jodhpur village.
At around 9 pm, the security guard went to the terrace using the lift. He reportedly remained there, waiting for the young woman.
Around 9:15 pm, the 23-year-old woman came to the terrace for a walk. Police allege that Singh then approached her and demanded a physical relationship.
The situation turned violent within minutes. At around 9:20 pm, the guard is accused of attacking the woman, using a wire to strangle her and covering her mouth before sexually assaulting her. The accused remained on the terrace for some time before leaving.
Guard fled after locking the terrace door
At around 10:25 pm, Singh fled from the terrace after locking the door. The woman raised an alarm and shouted for help. Hearing her cries, people came to the terrace and the matter was reported to the police.
Police reached the location at around 11 pm and began examining the crime scene.
An investigation involving around 10 police teams was launched. Police continued the search through the night and carried out an intensive investigation until around 2 am.
The accused was finally caught at around 8 am on August 9, several hours after the incident.
Security agency was operating with an expired licence
While investigating the case, police also examined the records of the security company that employed Singh.
The company, A One Security Company, had reportedly been operating since 2015. Its licence was renewed in 2021 and remained valid until April 5, 2026.
However, the company did not begin the renewal process after the licence expired.
This means the company had continued its operations for around four months without a valid licence.
Following the discovery, Anandnagar Police registered a separate case against company owner Ramprakash Tiwari, citing alleged negligence in allowing the agency to operate without a valid licence. Further investigation into the company’s operations is underway.
What rules must security agencies follow?
The case has also brought attention to the rules that private security agencies are required to follow while hiring and deploying guards. Under the applicable regulations:
A private security agency must have a valid PSARA (Private Security Agencies Regulation Act) licence.
The security company must be properly registered.
A newly hired security guard is required to undergo 160 hours of training.
Police verification and a character certificate are required for guards.
If a guard is carrying a firearm, the necessary arms licence is mandatory.
Police verification is particularly important because security guards are often deployed inside residential societies, offices, commercial buildings and other places where they have regular access to members of the public.
Thousands of security guards work across Gujarat
The scale of the private security industry in Gujarat is large.
The state has around 2,500 private security agencies, of which an estimated 600 to 800 operate in Ahmedabad.
Together, these agencies employ an estimated 5 to 6 lakh security guards across Gujarat, while around 1.5 lakh guards are believed to be working in Ahmedabad alone.
With such a large workforce, proper recruitment, police verification, training and supervision are important to ensure the safety of residents and other people who come into contact with security personnel.
Difference in salaries of armed and unarmed guards
Security guards are employed in different sectors depending on their training and responsibilities.
An unarmed security guard generally earns between ₹13,000 and ₹18,000 per month. Such guards are commonly deployed at residential societies, shopping malls, offices and other establishments.
Armed security guards generally earn more, with monthly salaries ranging from around ₹22,000 to ₹28,000. They are often assigned to sensitive duties, including protecting bank cash vans and jewellery showrooms.
Questions over supervision remain
The Ahmedabad case has raised questions not only about the actions of the individual guard but also about the process through which private security personnel are recruited and placed on duty.
Police verification and training are mandatory requirements, but the incident has highlighted concerns about whether agencies are properly following these rules and whether guards are adequately supervised after they are appointed.
In this case, police found that the accused had joined the company only four days before the assault and had not received formal training. The discovery that the company’s licence had also expired months earlier has added another serious concern to the investigation.
The police case against both the accused guard and the security company owner is now being investigated separately, while authorities continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the woman’s assault and the company’s hiring and operating procedures.
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