Bagh-i-Mehtab Prostitution Racket Fallout: District Admin Srinagar Orders Property Owners/Landlords to Furnish of Tenant Details Within 10 Days
Non-verification Will Lead To FIR Against Landlord
Srinagar, Apr 5 : Coming close on the heels of busting of a rough trade in Bagh-i-Mehtab locality, District Magistrate Srinagar on Wednesday ordered the property owners/landlords to furnish details of tenants putting up in the properties anywhere in the district, within a period of ten days.
Citing a letter by Senior Superintendent of Police, Srinagar the District Magistrate said that the recent incident in Bagh-i-Mehtab has necessitated conducting the verification of the tenants as the district has a good number of people from other places putting up all across.
“Senior Superintendent of Police, Srinagar, vide his letter No. 01-23/12741-42 dated: 03-4-2023 and No. CS/01-23/12910-12, dated: 04-04.2023 has reported that Srinagar being a capital city, a good number of people from other places are putting up in the District Srinagar in the rented accommodation. Investigation in multiple incidents of social crime including theft/burglary has revealed that the persons involved in such activities have been staying as tenants in Srinagar city which poses a danger to the ordinary Citizens. On April, 3rd, 2023 an incident of immoral trafficking came to the fore in the Bagh-i-Mehtab area of Srinagar city falling within the jurisdiction P/S Channapora. During the preliminary investigations it has been divulged that accused persons hail from outside of District Srinagar and had hired a private house in the said area. Further, the house-owner, where the illicit racket was busted, had not conducted tenant verification and whereas, the surfacing of the racket has evoked outrage among the public circles having a tendency to become a law and order issue thus necessitating putting in place measures for stopping such illicit / immoral activities”, reads the content of the order, a copy of which lies with GNS.
“Whereas time and again it has also been brought to the notice of undersigned that few incidents of acid attack/eve teasing have occurred in the recent past in the District which are in turn damaging the social fabric of society thus calling for putting the deterrence measures in place. SSP, Srinagar vide above mentioned communication/s has requested that there is an imminent need to conduct verification of tenants staying in rented accommodations in various parts of the city as there have been instances of social crimes and illicit activities”, it reads.
“Whereas, SSP, Srinagar vide above mentioned communication/s has requested that there is an imminent need to conduct verification of tenants staying in rented accommodations in various parts of the city as there have been instances of social crimes and illicit activities. It is necessary that some steps are taken to make the landlords, property owners accountable before renting out or making available their premises to tenants, so that such criminals / anti-social /anti-national elements in the guise of tenants do not succeed in the Commission of crime in the Community.”
“Whereas, I consider the threat being posed by such anti-social elements as an imminent apprehended danger to public safety and security that warrants immediate preventive measures”, the order reads.
“Now, therefore, for the reasons stated in the preceding paras, and in exercise of powers vested in me under various Sections of Cr.P.C, I, District Magistrate, Srinagar do hereby order and require all landlords, owners of properties, attorney holders, persons in-charge of premises in any capacity (hereafter called as building owners) located in the entire jurisdiction of District Srinagar to comply strictly with the following directions: a) All Building Owners shall after the issuance of this order and within ten days of letting/ sub-letting / renting out his/her house or part thereof to any tenant(s), submit without fail the detailed particulars of the tenant(s) to be signed by both the owner and the tenant(s) to the concerned Police Station, either in person or by registered post addressed to the concerned Station House Officer; b) The Building Owners who have already let/sub-let/rented out their house(s) or part(s) thereof to any tenant on any date prior to issuance of this order, shall within ten days after the issuance of this order submit without fail the detailed particulars of the tenants to the concerned police station; c) All arrangements of letting or sub-letting the property like “paying Guest” tenants etc, shall be covered by this order; d) Every SHO in Srinagar District shall maintain a separate register for such purpose.”
“This order shall come into force with immediate effect and it shall remain in force for a period of 60 days, unless withdrawn earlier. Any violation of this order shall invite punitive action under Section 188 of Indian Penal Code, 1860 and other relevant sections of the Cr.P.C”, reads the order adding the Senior Superintendent of Police, Srinagar will implement this order.