MARGAO
An observation made by the South Goa Sessions Court in a murder case may serve as a wake-up call for the men in uniform to intensify the verification of tenants in rented accommodation.
Recently, while convicting two Jharkhand residents for the murder of a fellow native in the Raia murder case, the court observed that there was no record of the labourers residing in the complainant's rented room, describing the lapse as a weakness in the prosecution's case.
Additional Sessions Judge Sudhir S Shirgaonkar, however, noted that the absence of such records did not materially affect the outcome of the trial. While delivering the judgment, the court also remarked that the police ought to have initiated action over the absence of records, but no such action appeared to have been taken against the complainant, who had rented out the room to the labourers.
"While concluding this judgment, I record that it has come to light that there is no record of the labourers who resided in the room of the complainant. This aspect is a weakness of the prosecution, but it is not of much impact. In this regard, the police must take action, but it does not appear that the police took action against the complainant," Judge Shirgaonkar observed.
The court's observations are being viewed as a reminder for law enforcement agencies to strengthen tenant verification drives, particularly by ensuring that details of migrant labourers residing in rented accommodation across towns and villages are properly documented.
Demands for stricter tenant verification have frequently been raised at gram sabha meetings across Goa. Members of several village panchayats have repeatedly urged authorities to maintain records of migrant tenants residing in their jurisdictions.
The issue has been raised for a variety of reasons. In some villages, residents have linked the demand to concerns over indiscriminate garbage disposal along roadsides, allegedly by occupants of rented rooms. In other areas, panchayat members have argued that proper tenant verification would also help identify landlords who are required under existing rules to pay the local body an amount equivalent to one month's rent, thereby improving compliance with local tax and revenue provisions.
