Last Updated on November 10, 2020 at 7:12 pm
Police in Jammu and Kashmir has back-pedalled on their earlier order in which owners of houses in some of the areas of Jammu were asked to share details of their family members and tenants.
IGP (Jammu) Mukesh Singh in a video message shared on social media said that he is aware of apprehensions in people in Bhatindi and Sunjwan area for the verification exercise. He said more data than required has been asked and he has told the Jammu SSP to rectify the format which was to be used for tenant verification in the entire Jammu district.
It is reported that the police had distributed two forms in the areas – one for tenants and the other for house owner verification. As the police knocked at the doorsteps for collecting details of house owners and family members, other than tenants apprehensions arose.
A senior advocate, Sheikh Shakeel said that it is understandable if police want the data of tenants due to law and order scenario but even the Supreme Court has objected in a judgement regarding collection of family data due to privacy. The details already with the government in one form or another. If the police do it on a local level, then they are likely to fall in some wrong hands.
A Bhatindi resident raised questions on the door to door practice of collecting data when details of the tenants are submitted at the police station according to the practice.
Jammu SSP Shridhar Patil said that generally, house owners submit the details of the tenants themselves. Since, some of them have not submitted the details and the darbar move was scheduled for Monday so, some police officers had started verification drive themselves. He said that he is looking on the matter regarding form for house owner details. He has instructed the field officers to limit their data collection exercise to tenants only.
A police officer said on the condition of anonymity that it was the special operations group of the police that was collecting the details of the house owners and GPS locations of their property.
BJP has raised their objections regarding the exercise. Sunil Sethi, BJP Chief Spokesperson, said that the exercise was improper and they have asked administration to stop it immediately.
