The Goa Police announced their decision to launch a drive on October 15 to prosecute landlords who fail to verify the credentials of their tenants. From October 1 to 9, the police verified the backgrounds of over 20,000 tenants and house helpers to ensure the safety and security of citizens. In total, they have verified the credentials of 70,000 people so far.
Director General of Police (DGP) Alok Kumar expressed the department's commitment to taking all necessary steps to provide a safe and secure environment for both Goan residents and the large number of tourists visiting the state. He noted that the cumulative number of verified individuals in both districts had reached 70,000 as of October 9, with 20,000 verified in just the first nine days of October.
Kumar also highlighted that in some cases, landlords had rented their properties to foreigners without submitting the required information, leading to the arrest of some foreigners involved in illegal activities. He urged all citizens to complete the necessary formalities for their tenants, whether they are Indian or foreign, and contribute to the state's security framework.
The Goa Verification of Tenants Act applies to individuals residing on rent or under other agreements. This act strengthens the tenant verification process to gather timely information for security purposes and related matters.
In response to instructions from Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, long queues have been reported at police stations as part of the tenant verification drive. Sawant pointed out that many rape and murder cases involved migrants. Additionally, Goa Police launched a special drive targeting foreign nationals overstaying without proper documentation, booking three individuals in the past three days.