Seven people rent out houses to foreigners illegally in Palghar

All accused have been booked under Section 188 of IPC for renting their flats, shops to the foreigners without police verification. Representation pic

The Palghar police have registered FIR against seven people for allegedly renting their houses, flats and shops to the foreigners without informing the cops. According to the police sources, a large number of foreigners - especially African nationals have been living in Nalasopara, Vasai and Virar area. The locals have alleged them of dealing drugs and causing a nuisance in the area.

In one such incident, recently, a few African nationals ran riot in Nalasopara after the death of their colleague. They destroyed several vehicles and assaulted a few locals in a fit of rage. Soon the Palghar residents along with their local politicians approached district collector Kailash Shinde asking him for a stern action by evicting the illegal residents of foreign nationality.

Shinde soon issued an order, under the section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), instructing the owners to submit the details like valid visa and passport details along with the photograph of the foreigner tenants within 24 hours. He also issued orders allowing the cops to take stringent action against those found guilty of keeping tenants from foreign countries without informing the police.

Palghar DSP Gaurav Singh acting on the orders, issued directives to all the 23 police stations under his purview and booked cases against the flat owners who were found violating the orders. In last seven days, police have registered seven cases - Waliv (3), Virar (1) and Nalasopara east, Tulinj (3) and booked all accused under Section 188 of IPC (disobedience of an order by a public servant ) for renting their flats, shops to the African national without police verification.

The latest case was registered on Wednesday in Virar police station where a 64-year-old Bharatlal Advani was booked for renting his flat situated in Virar east to an African national without informing the police. "All accused would be produced before the court with the charge sheet in a couple of days," a police source said.

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