Stricter rules for real estate agents |
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 Additional Superintendent of
Police Thane (rural) Sharad Shelar addressing members of the
Mira Road Real Estate Agents Association yesterday. Renting an apartment in Mira-Bhayandar involves even the friendly policeman. Thane (rural) Police Superintendent Ramrao Pawar has made it mandatory for all real estate agents and flat owners to register details of their prospective tenants and get a verification clearance from the local police station before allowing the tenants to move in.
Pawar has issued a directive under Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code that reads Power to issue orders in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger. This is the need of the day for Mira-Bhayandar police after it was learnt that Nasir alias Abdul Rehman Sayeed Ali Aydeed stayed in a rented house at Naya Nagar, Mira Road.
Nasir was shot dead in a police encounter on Friday night.
The police also claim to have recovered a huge cache of gelatin sticks, detonators, alarm clocks and a computer among other things from his house. A week ago the Delhi Police (Special Cell) team along with a suspected Jaesh-e-Muhammad (JeM) militant Ateeq Usjama visited Coral-II building in Mira Road where he had been staying for the last few months.
The police said that JeM had plans to attack the Bombay Stock Exchange.
To facilitate registration the Mira-Bhayandar police have decided to issue printed forms to flat owners and real estate agents. Flat owners and agents will submit the name, contact address and other details of their prospective tenants. They will also have to submit photographs of all the immediate family members of the prospective tenant. The police will verify their authenticity and issue the NOC.
 The locked door of
the rented flat in
Huda Apartment
where Nasir lived The police have already familiarised members of Mira Road Real Estate Agents Association with these details in a meeting held yesterday.
Assuring them that the procedure is not time-consuming, Additional Superintendent of Police Thane (rural) Sharad Shelar said, I have instructed the officers to give the clearance within a week, so that flat owners and tenants are not inconvenienced.
Senior Police Inspector Shyamkumar Nipunje of Mira Road police station claims that the directive will act as an effective deterrent and once the system is under way illegal immigrants and anti national elements will think twice before renting a place in Mira-Bhayandar.
Rajesh Jain, president of the Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry, welcomed the directive. The police must have a good reason to implement such a rule in Mira-Bhayandar. When there is a security threat extreme measures have to be adopted. Though this new method may have a negative impact on our business, we will at least be assured that the place is no more a hide out for such anti social elements, he said.
Police find Nasirs house locked
Residents of Huda Apartment in Naya Nagar, Mira Road, find it difficult to believe that Nasir alias Abdul Rehman Sayeed Ali Aydeed who was shot dead in a police encounter on Friday night allegedly stayed in a rented apartment in their building.
They say that top police officials from Thane (rural) and local Mira-Bhayandar police visited the building twice on Saturday and interrogated them about Nasir. The police also made inquiries about some of the residents in the society.
Though media reports claim that Nasir was staying in flat number 203 of the building, residents claim that the house has been locked for the last two months.
Residents say that the room is registered in the name of Riyaz Mohammed Khan and has been locked for the last few months.
A family who earlier stayed in the house vacated it after their lease agreement expired. They are from Bangalore and are presently staying in the same society. Aijaz Khan, the society chairman, whose brother Riyaz Khan is said to own the flat says, The flat is still owned by the builder, as my brother has not paid the full amount yet. The flat will belong to my brother only after he pays the balance of Rs 1.88 lakh to the builders.
Residents of Huda Apartment say that they have never seen the flat opened in the last few months. Meanwhile, the society has strictly instructed the watchman not to allow any stranger in the building and to enter the details of every visitor in the register. He has also been instructed to only let in residents of the society after 11 pm. Advantages
* It will check influx of illegal immigrants, anti-social elements and terrorists
* It will ensure effective monitoring of moving population
* The landlord is assured of a tenant with a clean track record
* It encourages flat owners to enter proper legal agreements for renting premises
Disadvantages
* Scope for misuse of power and corruption while issuing the NOC
* Impractical to keep a tab on every rental deal
* Lack of infrastructure and logistics to check credibility of tenants in a short timeframe
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