Bengaluru City Police to return seized lockdown vehicles, CM Yediyurappa approves

Glad tidings for the Bengalureans, Bengaluru Police have decided to return all the vehicles seized during the lockdown period on May 1. Those vehicles seized first, will be returned first, said the City Police Commissioner on his announcement regarding the decision.

Bengaluru Police to return vehicles

In his recent tweet, Bhaskar Rao IPS, the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner mentioned that the police have received approval on the decision from the Home Minister as well as the Chief Minister.

"It's decided to return the Corona seized vehicles from 1/5/20 onwards. Those seized first will be returned first. The documents will be verified and the vehicle returned," he wrote.

He also added that the works related to the release of vehicles for tomorrow are underway.

Nearly 50,000 vehicles seized

The police force across the state has been diligently ever since the lockdown measures came into force nation-wide. Despite the strict guidelines from the Centre government, many were spotted on the roads with their vehicles.

Finding no way out to curb the motion on roads, the police had decided to seize the vehicles along with the huge fine amounts imposed.

According to the city police, they have seized more than 50,000 vehicles including cars, autorickshaws and two-wheelers across Bengaluru after the implementation of lockdown.

Based on the directions from the Centre, the police personnel have been booking these vehicle owners under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and IPC Section 188 (punishment for violation of prohibitory orders).

The vehicle owners therefore had to approach the jurisdictional court along with the original documents to get back their vehicles from the police custody.

According to an officer part of the seizing operations in the city, "We seized vehicles of mischievous people who came out for no reason. Many of them had come out in search of tobacco products and liquor."

"The police have maintained the records of seized vehicles along with the registration number, owner name and the rider who was caught. They have even maintained the time, date and place of seizure. So, we will return the vehicle to the right owner only after verifying the documents. If anyone fails to produce documents, vehicles will not be released," added a senior officer.

The vehicles are all parked near the respective police stations and the process of returning may last up to a week according to the officials.