Landlords in Patna need to be watchful while renting out their spaces.

After unearthing a spate of sex rackets in private residences, the police appealed to the house owners to get the background of the tenants checked before or after they rent out the place. The police emphasised that in such crime cases, the landlords will be held equally responsible.

In three raids in different areas of Patna in the past two days, the police unearthed sex rackets in private residential buildings. Investigations revealed that those involved had the flats on rent and used to pay the rents regularly.

"It has been years now since the police have repeatedly asked the landlords to get a background check of their tenants done. However, things have not gone as expected and very few have turned up. We have found that such businesses are being run in private houses taken on rent," Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manu Maharaaj said. He said the landlord must be aware of what is going on in the rented spaces.

"FIRs will be lodged against them, too, because they are party to the crime. There are many who are not aware of the Patna police's tenant verification form. We will have to advertise it properly," he added.

The website of the Patna police ( www.patnapolice.bih.nic.in) has the option of downloading a tenant verification form. One has to fill in the details of the tenant, paste a picture and submit it to the police station and the verification will be conducted. "We will contact the tenant, ask him or her a few questions, do the background check through the means available with the police and a report will be given to the landlord. It is not a tedious process. One of the reasons why the landlords don't want to get into the process is because many don't provide proper rent agreements to their tenants and take the rent in cash to evade tax," said a police officer.

The same form will be put inside local newspapers so that it is easier for the landlords to get a copy of it. "Holding meetings at different localities and informing people about the dangers is being chalked out too. An unverified tenant can pose a huge risk and can even be a terrorist. Patna has seen terror attacks in the past," the officer said.

Ramesh Kumar Sharma (name changed), a businessman who rented out three of his flats, said he is aware of the verification form, but doesn't do it.

"Tenants get angry and take it as an insult. Now that such shady businesses are going on in rented flats, I will try to convince them. But I make sure that the contact details of my tenants and their permanent addresses are with me," he said.

On August 30, teams of Kankerbagh and Danapur police stations raided two flats in their jurisdictions and busted sex rackets. The police raided a house at Road Number-1 in Indira Nagar and arrested two persons, including a woman who used to run and manage the sex trade.

A girl, who was pushed into the business, has been freed. During investigations, the police found out that the house belonged to a certain Arvind Kumar, a state government employee. The arrested man and woman had posed as husband and wife and had taken the house on rent.