TIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The disappointing sight of confiscated vehicles lying abandoned in dust and rust forced the Kerala police chief Loknath Behera to direct the district heads to auction them. However, the legal hurdles stop them from carrying out the exercise.The regional transport department, which does not have space of its own, is forced to park the abandoned vehicles at the police stations after seizing them during inspection drives.
As per the details available with the state police, nearly 40,000 vehicles confiscated or recovered are rusting in the open spaces at various stations for several years and, of them, around 14,000 are unclaimed.
Malappuram district (10,000) has the most unclaimed vehicles in the southern state. Wayanad (500) has the least.When the situation turned worse, the Director General of Police (DGP) ordered to avoid dumping of seized vehicles on the police station premises or by the roadside. He also instructed the police chiefs to submit a detailed data categorising the vehicles.
Sources in the police department said most vehicles were stolen or seized in connection with cases pertaining to sand mining and narcotic substances. There are also vehicles involved in accidents. Majority of the seized vehicles are lorries, jeeps, cars and two-wheelers. The Station House Officers (SHOs) are designated to keep a record of such vehicles and dispose of through auction.