Himachal HC directs DCs to clear roads of unclaimed vehicles

The directions were issued by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Sanjay Karol during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation ( PIL)—which the court has initiated in its suo moto action on basis of a letter written by the residents of Boileauganj in Shimla.

The court had come know that the vehicles seized in connection with certain complaints are either not released to the parties or disposed of in accordance with law by the Police ,Excise,Revenue and other departments even after the disposal of the complaints.

The matter pertained to a property of the Waqf Board in Boileauganj,permitted to be used by the Education Department as playground for the students of the Government Senior Secondary School,Boileauganj.

The playground was later rented out to the Police department for placing unserviceable property.

It was observed by the court that the departments including Police department have no objection,in principle to making the ground available to the students but they only required some place for keeping the vehicles involved in cases.

The Court also issued an interim direction to the Deputy Commissioner and and Superintendent of police,Shimla to identify an appropriate place within a month and to take steps for the shifting of vehicles to that place.

After shifting,the land be made available to education department for use by students at the same rent as it was let out to the Police department

The court also directed Shimla SP to look as to whether many of the vehicles are actually pertaining to the pending cases and to dispose of unclaimed vehicles.