Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)
Mangaluru, Mar 1: Scores of vehicles are getting rusted near Surathkal, Panambur and Kavoor police stations of the city. As there is no covered area to keep these vehicles, they are getting worn out due to sunlight during summer and rain during monsoon.
These vehicles include two wheelers, cars, trucks and even boats that the police have confiscated for various offences like stealing, violation of road rules or those involved in road accidents also.
It is said that the delay in auctioning of these vehicles is the reason for the vehicles turning into junk. Some of these are fit enough only to be sold to the scrap dealers.
In certain cases owners of vehicles do not appear to get them back. Vehicles that are confiscated in accident cases will be having cases going on in the court. They cannot be taken back by the owner till the case is resolved. Sometimes, even if the case is over, some owners do not claim the vehicle.
Most of the time, vehicles that have met with accidents are not claimed by the owners. Only if the vehicle is covered under insurance, they are taken back. Most of the people have a blind belief that any vehicle that has met with an accident is a bad omen. Moreover, even if they take it from police stations, they sell it to others.
"Vehicles that are confiscated in crime cannot be taken back without the permission of the court. They have to invariably be under the police department till the final verdict is given by the court," says N Shashi Kumar, police commissioner.
As the cases of confiscated vehicles are getting delayed, vehicles amounting to crore of rupees are getting damaged. If the same are sold through auction, the government can earn crore of rupees. The government has to take action to form a suitable law in this respect. The new vehicle scrap policy of the union government should include the vehicles confiscated by the police also. Then only there will be some gain out of these vehicles rather than allowing them to just get dilapidated in front of police stations.