Mumbai: Following revelations that the shooters involved in the Baba Siddique case had rented a house in Kurla to quietly plan the assassination, Chembur’s Tilak Nagar police have launched a house-to-house drive in their jurisdiction to identify any elements or criminal activities . Nearly 10 First Information Reports (FIRs) have since been filed against property owners for failing to comply with tenant verification procedures required by law, which require landlords to send tenant details, including proof of identity and tenancy agreements, to local police.

Following the revelation that the shooters in the Baba Siddique case had rented a house in Kurla to quietly plan the murder, the Tilak Nagar police in Chembur have launched a house-to-house drive in their jurisdiction to identify any criminal elements or activities. Since then, nearly 10 First Information Reports (FIRs) have been filed against property owners for failing to comply with tenant verification procedures required by law, which require landlords to submit tenant details, including proof of identity and leases, to local police .

In 2008, in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, the Bombay High Court issued directives mandating tenant checks to address growing concerns about crime and terrorist activities in urban areas, emphasizing tighter surveillance of rental housing. In this process, landlords have to collect documents like Aadhaar cards, PAN cards or passports from tenants along with their contact details. These details should be submitted to your local police station either in person or online for verification. The mandate applies to both short-term and long-term tenants. Failure to comply can lead to fines or legal action against property owners, a rule now actively enforced by the Tilak Nagar police station.

In the case of Siddiqui’s murder, Mumbai police revealed that the shooters had rented a property to avoid detection while coordinating their actions. They are suspected of using false identities or intermediaries to secure the rental. Following that revelation, police officials launched a separate investigation to identify people who may have facilitated the shooters’ stay or neglected tenant screening procedures. The investigation is ongoing.

“Tenancy verification is of great importance to prevent such security lapses,” said Sandip Pawar, PSI and part of Anti-Terrorist Cell (ATC) at Tilak Nagar police station. “To date, nearly 10 FIRs have been registered against landlords and property owners.” Most of the reserved owners have rented out their flats to unknown tenants in areas like Amar Junction, PL Lokande Marg, Ramabai Colony and Amir Baug – all in the Chembur area.

“This practice is not limited to slums – it extends to apartments and buildings where, either deliberately or negligently, the owners do not follow the rules,” explained Pawar. “Unlike earlier when owners had to submit the documents physically at the police station, now the process can be completed online in a few clicks. Tenant screening is crucial for safety and security, especially to prevent unwanted activity.”

According to police officials, in the 10 FIRs, they booked landlords – and in some cases even tenants – who lacked proper identification documents. No arrests were made in these cases, which were filed under Section 223 (disobedience of orders duly promulgated by a public servant) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Instead of arrest, notices are issued to the accused under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, which recently replaced the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). This section requires the police to issue a notice directing the accused to appear before them if an arrest is not required. “In the next two days, after the interrogation and the recording of the statements, we proceed with the file, which is then submitted to the court. Generally, the court decides whether the accused will be punished, a fine or both,” explained Pawar.

How to check the tenant:

Go to the Mumbai Police website
Click Tenant Information
Fill out the form
Attach the necessary documents
Submit the form
Receive confirmation and follow-up if needed