The Bombay High Court recently instructed the Maharashtra government to develop and present a clear policy to tackle the rising issue of vehicles seized by the police and left abandoned or parked in public areas, especially near police stations in Mumbai.
The order came in response to a petition by the Marathon Maxima Co-operative Housing Society in Mulund, which raised concerns about seized vehicles being parked on open private land near their premises. The society highlighted that these vehicles, often abandoned for years, were an “eyesore” in otherwise well-maintained surroundings and caused significant inconvenience to both residents and pedestrians.
The bench of Justice GS Kulkarni and Justice Advait Sethna observed, “In our opinion, for a city like Mumbai or any other city which encompasses constraints on open spaces, encroachments on footpath, pavements etc. which itself makes the life of pedestrians miserable and added to such woes, are the problems of such illegal parking on open public spaces, pavements / footpaths and in the surroundings of the police stations. The Municipal Corporation does not attend to such encroachments by the police stations although it is on public roads and footpaths merely because these vehicles are something to do with the police station. When pedestrians themselves cannot normally move on roads and footpaths, the Traffic Department cannot remain a mute spectator, on these issues. The menace of such parking and dumping of vehicles in the surroundings of the police stations and /or on private lands, needs to be something of the past.”
“We may observe that parking such vehicles, cars, trucks etc. in the vicinity of the police stations is also a safety and security concern and from such perspective it is imperative that the Traffic Department would avoid parking of these vehicles in the vicinity of the police stations.” it added.
The High Court further directed the Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) and the Inspector General of Police, Maharashtra, to develop a clear mechanism ensuring that seized vehicles are promptly moved to designated locations and not left on roads, footpaths, or near police stations. The Court also ordered that a policy, as per its earlier directive dated April 13, 2023, be framed under the guidance of the Principal Secretary, Home, and submitted to the Court along with an affidavit before the next hearing.
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