But vehicles sans pass will continue to be seized: police chief
BENGALURU:
Over 47,000 vehicles that have been seized by the Bengaluru police for plying during the lockdown without the required passes are set to be returned to their owners on payment of a fine.
The seized vehicles are currently parked at police stations and playgrounds.
Speaking at a presser on Thursday, City Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao said, “As per the decision of Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, the vehicles will be released from Friday. But because of the possibility of outbreaks, social distancing can be difficult. To maintain that, we have taken some steps.”
Elaborating, he said, “The vehicles will be released after checking the documentation. However, the vehicles seized in the last 2 days will not be released tomorrow. Starting from March 30, we will release the vehicles that were seized first.”
He said that as per the court rule, the vehicles would be released at the respective police stations.
However, Rao warned that the police would continue to confiscate vehicles moving without a pass until the lockdown is completely removed.
What HC said
According to the orders passed by the High Court, vehicles seized during the lockdown should be released after collecting fines for violations. The fine to be collected is Rs 1,000 for 4-wheelers and Rs 500 for bikes and autorickshaws. The HC also instructed the police department to inspect all vehicle records, including insurance, and then hand over the vehicles.
