HYDERABAD: Despite the police in all three commissionerates repeatedly asking people to come forward and register details of their tenants, there has been lukewarm response from the owners. The Hyderabad police have made the process simpler now. They have developed an app called ‘HawkEye’ and now people can upload the details of their tenants, servants and drivers through the app.
“The data will be sent to the police station concerned where the inspector will keep a record of the tenant with him. In case, he/she is a troublemaker or a criminal, the police will inform the houseowner about it. Uploading and informing the police about the details is voluntary but necessary,” said Inspector (IT) K. Sreenath Reddy. So far, only a few thousand people have uploaded the data of their tenants. “It is better for you. If the tenant commits a crime, the owner will be in trouble,” said DCP (south) V. Satyanarayana. In Rachakonda and Cyberabad, the police are going ahead and sealing all houses where “illegal activities” are being reported. “We have sealed nearly 40 brothels housed in bungalows and flats, with the help of revenue authorities. If a tenant is evicted forcibly or otherwise, the houseowner loses out on a year’s contract plus there are legal issues,” said Rachakonda commissioner Mahesh M. Bhagwat.
The police also advise houseowners to submit photographs of their tenants and a photstat copy of their Aadhar Card. However, a few houseowners complain that their tenants do not cooperate. “Tenants feel we are questioning their sincerity. If they belong to another religion it is another major issue,” said Gurram Srinivas, a houseowner from Dilsukhnagar. The tenants, too, have their own apprehensions. “How do we know that the owner is a good person? It has to work both ways,” said D. Prabhakar, a private company employee from Lal Darwaza.
Abdul Mateen, a businessman from Muradnagar said that tenants are apprehensive of their documents being misused. “There should be a mechanism where a person can submit his ID documents directly to the police. Otherwise, no tenant will willingly provide the documents to the houseowner,” he said.
