After the murder of former minister and NCP leader Baba Siddiqui in Bandra area of Mumbai, the police have started taking action against those who rent out their houses but do not provide information about the tenants to the police. The attackers who targeted Siddique had rented a house in the Kurla area, but this information was not shared with the police. Now, the police have become strict once again.
In fact, after an alert was issued in Mumbai, DCP Akbar Pathan passed an order on September 29, 2024, making it mandatory to provide details of tenants. However, this directive was largely ignored. After the recent attack, the police have become more proactive. The attackers who targeted Baba Siddique in Bandra had rented accommodation in Kurla, and they were hired by Shubham Lonkar, an associate of Bishnoi. These attackers would travel by motorcycle or rented auto to Siddique’s office to scout the area and then return to their Kurla residence. No one suspected who they were or why they had come to Kurla. If the police had received any information about such individuals, they could have monitored them. The police believe that if the landlord had informed them, preventive action might have been taken, or at least they could have kept an eye on them.
The Mumbai Police Commissioner had issued an order to all police stations stating that anyone renting out a house, shop, or bungalow must provide information about the tenants to the police. However, this order had been continuously neglected. After the Bandra incident, the police have once again become active, and they are registering FIRs and taking action against those who have failed to provide tenant information to the police. Several such cases have been registered in Mumbai over the past two days. Action is being taken under Section 163 of the BNS and Section 10 (2) of the Maharashtra Police Act.