Landlords under police scanner

Satinder Pal Singh

Zirakpur, May 16

In an attempt to keep a close watch on people, especially students, putting up at paying guest (PG) accommodations, the police conducted a search operation in various housing colonies and societies in Zirakpur and Dera Bassi.

The search operations were carried out by station house officers of the areas concerned for making identification of paying guests mandatory for owners of PG accommodations.

The move has come following the involvement of students/youths in criminal activities in which the police later found that people offered accommodation to such students without getting them registered at the police station concerned, which is mandatory as per the law.

Landlords, who had given their houses and PG accommodations on rent to people without police verification, will be booked under Section 188 of the IPC.

Hundreds of students, studying in private institutions, have been staying in flats and as paying guests (PGs) in several localities in the city. Due to the lack of their records with the police, the latter often find it difficult to ascertain their background, whereabouts or the university they are studying in after such students indulge in crime.

Though the police have pulled up their socks, city residents are yet to take a call on the issue as a majority of them have not yet got the police verification done for tenants in Zirakpur and Dera Bassi.

According to police sources, no owner of any house or property could rent out any accommodation to any person until and unless he had furnished the particulars of the said tenant to the police station concerned.

The police also directed the owners to maintain records, including photographs and address proofs of the PGs, and hand over a copy of their details to the area police station within two weeks. The police have also warned the owners against legal action if they fail to follow the directions.

Pawan Kumar, SHO, Zirakpur, said: “The drive has been started to find out anti-social elements who may seek hideouts in residential areas. People have been urged to cooperate with the police by informing them about any suspected person”.

He said they would launch such drives on a regular basis to identify tenants who have not reported for verification. Those who contravene this process would be liable to face legal action in accordance with the provision of Section 188 of the IPC.

Flat owner booked for failing to produce rent agreement

The police on Tuesday registered a case against Madan Mohan Lal, owner of a flat at Rishi Apartments, Zirakpur, for failing to produce the ‘rent agreement’ of the flat in which three Kashmiri students were putting up in a rented accommodation in Zirakpur. Pawan Kumar, SHO, Zirakpur, had denied the charges of any harassment to the Kashmiri students and said they had conducted checking in all societies on the orders of their senior police officials. On asking about the harassment suffered by the Kashmiri students who were asked to leave the flat, the SHO said they had only asked the students to show their ID proofs, adding that the police teams had only searched their bags and rooms. “We just want their personal details and previous address to make sure that they have no criminal record,” the SHO said. Pawan said the flat owner, Madan Mohan Lal, was asked to show the rent deed. Failing to do so, a case was registered against him under Section 188 of the IPC.

Cops seek public help to find ‘most wanted’ gangsters

Dera Bassi: The police finally woke up from their slumber and conducted door-to-door search and verification of houses in Dera Bassi on Tuesday to gather any clues about the most wanted gangsters in the state, seeking help from the public. The belated exercise of the Dera Bassi police saw the formation of around five teams, which conducted searches to look for leads in the criminal cases that happened in the recent months. One of the senior police officials said they had been handed over a pocket-sized booklet of the gangsters who are wanted in connection with serious offences, including murder, burglary and violence. Their details are now also being released to the public by pasting posters on the main spots such as McD restaurant and other parts of the city as part of continued efforts to trace them and get them arrested. The police have called upon the people that whoever had any information or spots any of the wanted gangsters should contact them immediately. OC