The Karnataka High Court recently allowed the State Police to release over 1.51 lakh vehicles that were seized for violation of lockdown norms. The owners of the vehicles can now make an application to the jurisdictional Police Officers to seek the return of the vehicle on a deposit amount, instead of approaching the Magistrate.
The police began releasing in batches vehicles that were seized for lockdown violations across Karnataka. However, according to the sources a large number of vehicles seized during 2020 are still lying in the police stations on the ground that claimants have not been able to produce the ownership documents. As a result, police stations are flooded with such vehicles.
Addressing this issue, the Director-General and Inspector General of Police, Praveen Sood issued an order stating “extremely strict criteria may lead to a large number of vehicles being left in the police stations, which is good neither for the citizens nor for the police stations. The vehicles will continue to rot there without disposal for years.
As most of the sales of vehicles especially two-wheelers, cars etc., do not get re-registered in name of the purchaser, the vehicles keep changing hands on the strength of a delivery note only. It is indeed a violation of Motor Vehicle Act but, in reality, it is the practice in our society. Hence, insistence on ownership proof beyond doubt will lead to a situation where a large number of owners would be deprived of their vehicles.
Further, he suggested in the note that subjective satisfaction of the officer-in-charge of police station about ownership i.e. delivery note, insurance, and other papers are sufficient basis for the release of the vehicle.
Speaking to News Karnataka on this matter Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mangaluru informed that,” Already we have released the seized vehicles. As per the High Court order before release, the ownership of the vehicle has to be established. The second-hand vehicles are released on the basis of the transfer of ownership records. We have imposed a bond of Rs. 1000 or Rs. 2000 and informed the people to collect their seized vehicles already. All the requested vehicles have been released, he added.
