Hyderabad: As an increasing number of houses are sealed to curb illegal activities such as human trafficking and gambling, the city police and administrative authorities have cautioned people to be careful while renting homes to unknown people.
In a recent trend, it is observed that the offenders are on the lookout for rented apartments or houses in order to conduct their business, which has led the police to take strict measures such as the seizure of premises. Speaking of the initiative, a senior official of the Cyberabad Police Special Operation’s team said, “Once the First Information Report (FIR) is registered by the police for illegal activities on a premise, we are ensuring that steps are being taken quickly to seize it and thus prevent it from being misused again,” reported Telangana Today.
Furthermore, the official stated, “With the orders of the Police Commissioners, we can seize the place. If an investigation officer is successful in proving that the said house or premise has been used for illegal activities, the place along with the movable and immovable properties can be seized and the bank accounts too can be frozen” adding that, premises can be sealed in the first instance if it is reported for the conduct of illegal activities.
It is to be noted that, in order to seize a premises, the seizure orders need to be signed by an official of the magistrate level, since the commissioners of police have magisterial authority, they sign such orders. Once a seizure order is signed and imposed on a property, it remains valid for a period of one year, during which the property is not supposed to be used for any purpose.
Expressing his views on the same an official from the Rachakonda police said, “Once the seizure period is over, the owner has to file a petition before the local court concerned to claim back or release of the property.”
The Hyderabad police have urged people to use the ‘Hawk-Eye’ app, which helps to register complaints online. Speaking of the app, an official from the Hyderabad Task Force said, “Our Hawk Eye app can be easily downloaded on any smartphone. It has a specific option for registering details of tenants, servants, plumbers, etc. Identification proof like Aadhaar, Election Card and others can be uploaded. The details will be registered at the local police station through the app.”
The police stated that, once the tenants register on the Hawk-Eye app, they are under surveillance, which keeps them away from illegal activities.
