1,236 vehicles rotting at city police stations: RTI query

There are 1,236 vehicles seized by the police that are rotting at the police stations because of lack of space. The police said they are working on plans to shift them to a dumping ground in a few months.

A large number of vehicles can be seen outside police stations in the city, rusting and gathering dust. Not only have they become eyesores but also a health hazard.

The figure of the number of vehicles in such a state has come to light following an inquiry by Kharghar based RTI activist Ravi Srivastava. The figures are only of a zone I area from Airoli to CBD Belapur as the information from zone II is still awaited.

Srivastava said, “The police seize the vehicles which are either stolen, involved in accidents or used in any crime or seized from the accused.”

He said: “The vehicles have been parked on the police station premises for a number of years as the police may have to produce them in the court, whenever the cases come up.”

He added that the vehicles have turned into pieces of junk over the years.

“These vehicles are hardly of any evidence anymore. Slowly and gradually vital parts of the vehicles start disappearing. These include battery, spark plugs, carburettors and others which are not visible from the outside,” said Srivastava.

He said the RTI query revealed that the Vashi ACP division has 366 vehicles dumped at the police stations. These include 186 twowheelers, 121 four-wheelers, 41 autorickshaws and 18 commercial vehicles. In Turbhe ACP division, there are 870 vehicles — 361 twowheelers, 38 autos, 339 four-wheelers and 132 commercial vehicles. “A total of 1,236 vehicles are rotting in the zone I area,” he said.

The RTI activist said: “The sta- tistics is of vehicles seized during past five years from 2011 to 2015. There could be more vehicles seized earlier.”

Mahesh Lal, a Vashi resident, said: “The vehicles are occupying space on public land. Besides, even as there are drives for Swachch mission, the vehicles in the open have become breeding ground for mosquitoes.”

Srivastava said the police need to take requisite permissions and scrap the vehicles. “The scrap should be recycled and the proceeds should be retained by the police,” he added.