Bhopal: Seized Vehicles Pile Up At Police Stations, Turn Into Scrap

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Lying for decades at police stations, vehicles seized by cops in different cases are now causing trouble.

Exposed to weather and dust, cars, bikes, and other vehicles are turning into scrap, consuming space inside and even outside many police stations of the city. 

In the past eight months, police auctioned off some vehicles in three drives, but that has barely helped; over 4,000 seized vehicles are still parked at 38 police stations in the city, as per police records.

A majority of these vehicles are now free of court cases. Seized vehicles are auctioned off on PHQ instructions. Police officials said that during the past decade, around 1,000 such vehicles were auctioned off. Police sources said that after seized vehicles filled up space at police stations, the GRP yard was put to use.

Police seize vehicles used in loot, thefts, snatchings, smuggling of liquor, marijuana, drugs, and cattle, or those found lying unclaimed. Many vehicles are also seized for violating traffic rules or those involved in accidents.

Owners are supposed to take their vehicles back once the cases are disposed of, but with cases remaining pending in courts, many of them did not claim their vehicles as they turned into scrap.  DCP headquarters Shraddha Tiwari said disposal of such vehicles is being carried out regularly. Senior officials in each zone are being instructed to prepare a list of seized vehicles that are free of court cases.

The vehicles whose cases have ended at the court are auctioned off as per the rules and completion of the process, she added. 

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Parking woes

Police stations with a large number of seized vehicles include the Crime Branch, Traffic, Koh-e-Fiza, Habibganj, Kolar, Shahjehanabad, and Hanumanganj. At some police stations, the situation is such that visitors struggle to park their vehicles due to a pile of junked vehicles.