Author: Gautam S. Mengle
Publication: The Asian Age
Date: September 28, 2008
Introduction: Mumbra police to check tenant
authenticity
The Mumbra, Police has set up a special cell
to monitor and verify the authenticity of all people· who wish to rent
space in Mumbra - residential or business purposes. Three officers will be
made available for this verification at, all times. Estate agents in Mumbra
have also been provided with a Special Police Information form, which all
tenants have to fill out.
Mr Arun Sonde, senior police inspector, "Mumbra
police station, said the tenant has to be present when the form is submitted.
The tenant will· then be questioned in order to verify the authenticity
of the details that he has filled in the form, Only then will the person be
allowed to take possession of the space;"
"We are very particular about this arid
all estate; agents are cooperating with the police," said Mr Sayyed Mohammed
Hussain, genera1 secretary of the Mumbra, Kausa Real Estate Association.
However, police agree that there are difficulties
like the ones they encountered in the case of Mohammed Arif Sheikh - one of
the five alleged terrorists arrested by the Mumbai crime branch, Arif had
managed to rent a place in the bustling Muslim township without even once
coming in contact will the landlord or the agents who got him the place on
rent.
Arif met Riyaz Farooqui - a Unani practitioner
based in Kurla- in August. The same month Farooqi met real estate agent Naved
Qureshi saying he needed a place to start his clinic.
Naved then, contacted Rashid Sheikh and Farooq
Sheikh, who told him about a space for rent in the Simla
Park Complex in Kausa, Mumbra.
From September 1 to 18, Arif and Farooqi ran
the Azeem Unani Clinic together at the complex. However, from the time Farooqi
contacted Qureshi, to the time when the deal was finalised, Arif never revealed
himself. He even paid Rs.15,000 of the advance-payment to Farooqi, but did
not pay it himself. Also, the agreement papers carry only Farooqi's name.
Three estate agents alongwith the caretaker,
of the place where-Farooqiran his clinic, were arrested in this connection
on Thursday.
The Mumbra police subsequently arrested Farooqi
in Kurla on Friday.
"Our only mistake was that we didn't
inform the, police about the transaction, which we are bound to do by law.
I don't even know what Arif looks like," said Naved Qureshi.
