Srinagar, Dec 17 (IANS): The domestic help who murdered an elderly woman in Srinagar was sent by a local domestic help engagement agency, which had not completed the required checks on him, police said on Friday.

On Thursday, a domestic help accused of murdering 80-year-old Mala Foff, wife of late Ghulam Ahmad Sheikh, in Lal Bazar area of Srinagar was arrested when he was trying to escape after committing the heinous crime.

Investigation has revealed that the domestic help belonging to Uttarakhand was engaged by the elderly woman from the domestic help supplier agency in Srinagar.

"The agency had sent the domestic help to the woman without getting his antecedents verified by police which is a mandatory requirement," police sources said.

The owner of the agency is now being questioned by police, sources added.

"It is very important that you get the character and record of any domestic help or tenant verified from local police station before you avail his or her services or allow him or her to be in your house," Shafat Mir, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of the area where the crime was committed, said.

The non-local domestic help identified as Omprakash Sah of Uttarakhand was hired by the Lal Bazar family from the agency.

The accused was arrested while on way to Jammu at Tikri on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway with the help of concerned police station.