Police department to auction off abandoned vehicles

PUNE: The city

police

are on a cleaning spree, auctioning old and abandoned vehicles in its possession.

More than 500 such vehicles are set to go under the hammer in September, when the police hope interested buyers, or even scrap dealers, will take them off their hands and free up the much needed space in the heart of the city.

According to police records, they have more than 485 two-wheelers and 20-odd privately-owned cars. The vehicles have been gathering dust at a ground in a prime location in the city.

Most of them were found abandoned on the street, and were picked up by the police after receiving complaints from alert citizens.

In a bid to clear the prime property of the vehicular clutter, the police have compiled a list of all the vehicles, complete with registration number,

vehicle

type, engine and chassis number. The list was posted by the police on their website for the rightful owners to still come and claim them, of course with satisfactory proof of ownership.

A thorough investigation is simultaneously being conducted to check the vehicles for any criminal record. An official has been dedicated for the task, and will coordinate with the

Criminal Investigation Department

(CID) to weed out such vehicles from the final list.

According to senior police officials, a notice was published in newspapers in the first week of July announcing the

auction

, as prescribed by the Bombay Police Act. A two-month window has been allowed for owners to come forward and stake their claim.

The remaining vehicles will be auctioned off in the middle of September, said Basavraj Teli, deputy commissioner of police (Zone I), where most of these vehicles were seized.

Explaining the reason behind this unprecedented step, Teli said, “We want to utilize our space better, and thought of clearing out these vehicles. Some of them are still in a good condition, while a few were reduced to scrap. However, as per the rule, we will auction everything in the presence of a government-approved auctioneer. The money raised will go to the state treasury,” he informed.

He said that anybody can take part in the auction. S/he will be given an auction slip and a panchanama. With these documents, they can get the vehicle registered in their name at the Road Transport Organization.

A similar exercise is also being carried out by other divisions, which have a smaller number of vehicles, They are now being disposed of with due permission from the court, senior police officials said.