Hundreds of vehicles either seized by authorities or abandoned by their owners are rotting in the open in the various police stations of the district headquarters.
There are two-wheelers, four-wheelers and heavy vehicles lying unattended out in the open at various traffic police stations. Most of these vehicles have been marred by weather and are rotting away in the police station compounds. Several vehicles have reached a state where they cannot even be identified by their owners now.
Bastar Superintendent of Police S R Salam said, “We keep checking on the vehicles from time to time and clean them. As soon as we get court’s order, the vehicles will be handed over to their owners.” The Supreme Court had previously ordered to return the vehicles either to the insurance companies or the owners.
The apex court had insisted that the vehicles be disposed off as soon as possible as their maintenance is causing loss to the State Government. But the police do not have records of many vehicle owners and the chassis numbers of many vehicles had not been recorded yet. Accidental vehicles, vehicles seized from thieves, and vehicles of owners who do not have the proper documents have been lying in the compounds of police stations.