On Saturday, 26 November, Karnataka Police made police clearance mandatory for renting apartments in Mysuru. A decision to this effect was taken because Md Shariq, accused of having triggered an IED in Mangaluru, had rented an apartment in Mysuru under a fake identity.
According to the new rental policy, that Mysuru Police drafted, any house owner renting out their apartments will have to get a clearance certificate from any nearby police station.
New Rental Policy To 'Ensure Safety': Police
House owners have to pay Rs 100 for the application form, which will have to be submitted to the local police station. The police, based on merits of the application, will then issue a clearance certificate. The certificate will have to be produced if a rental agreement has to be drafted.
A Mysuru police officer told The Quint:
"The new rental policy will be implemented from 1 December. We are doing this to ensure that the city and its people are safe. Apart from having clearance certificate for residences, we also have separate applications for people running hostels and paying guest facilities. We have also requested all building owners to cooperate with us."
What Details Will Tenants Have to Divulge?
As per the application document, which was issued by the police, tenants and house owners will be asked to divulge:
Name
Father's Name
Age
Gender
Employment
Address
Phone Number
Application form that the Mysuru police have mandated.
(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)
Apart from collecting personal and professional details, Mysuru Police will also collect photographs of tenants along with the application form. However, it is not mandatory to divulge details such as one's religion and caste identity.
The new rule set by Mysuru Police could be first of it kind. Meanwhile, Karnataka home minister Araga Jnanendra has confirmed that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will now be probing the autorickshaw blast case in Mangaluru.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)