The Kharghar police have registered two separate FIRs against landlords who rented out their apartments to African nationals without completing the mandatory C-Form submission on the government portal, a violation of rules for reporting the arrival of foreign nationals in India.According to police officials, the lapses effectively facilitated the illegal stay of the tenants in the apartments.
Assistant Police Inspector (API) Milind Phadtare stated that one FIR was filed against Amit Shroff, a Thane resident, after he rented his flat in Chaudhary Heights, Sector 27, Ranjanpada to an African national, Ifeanyi Ugochukwo, despite being aware that the tenant had neither a valid passport nor visa. Shroff also failed to file the rental agreement at the police station. Ugochukwo has since been lodged in Taloja jail under provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946.
In another case, API Arun Chavan confirmed that landlord Jawed Ali Sayyed was booked for renting out two flats in Faujia Mansion, Sector 34, Farshipada to seven Africans without filing the required C-Forms. While the Africans were not named as accused, police have directed them to furnish their passports and visas for verification.The investigations are ongoing to determine the extent of violations and possible misuse of tenancy provisions.