Over 100 employees of various BPO organisations staged a protest in Bangalore Saturday, demanding capital punishment for the pick-up vehicle driver who allegedly raped and murdered a woman employee of a leading IT firm.

Staging the protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue on M G Road, the employees, carrying placards demanding hanging of the rapist and "a safe and secure Bangalore", sought tightening of security measures and intensified night patrolling on roads where IT majors are located.

• BPO murder: CM asks police to step up vigil

"We do not want Bangalore to become another Delhi or Bihar. It is high time the government seriously considers strengthening security, especially for women in the IT city," they told reporters.

The employees said they would soon hold a meeting with the city Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Singh on the
security measures required for call centre employees who work late hours and also submit a memorandam to Chief Minister Dharam Singh and Law Minister H K Patil in this regard.

"It is equally the responsibility of the companies to ensure that they have security guards in the vehicles dropping employees home," said Milind Dharmasen, a music director who "gathered techie friends to demand justice".

Vimala K S, general secretary, All India Democratic Women's Association condemned the murder and said they would take up the issue of women's security, not only with the BPO companies which employ them in large numbers, but also with the government.