Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 29:
Even as the stolen cars seized by Delhi Police in collaboration with Manipur Police from the State have been gathering rust and slowly turning into junk metals within the premises of the Imphal West District Police Headquarters, Rajasthan Police is going to launch another drive in Manipur to track down cars lost from Rajasthan.
According to the disclosure of a reliable source to The Sangai Express, Rajasthan Police has made all necessary arrangements to launch a drive here within a short time.
A team of Rajasthan Police led by one DSP came to Imphal some days back and collected the registration numbers of some cars.
The team may come back soon to seize some cars reportedly stolen from Rajasthan, informed the source.
The team also informed the State Police that the registration numbers of cars collected from Imphal would be fed to their data bank to check their conformity with the missing reports.
On the other hand, a large number of cars seized by Delhi Police earlier from the State have been reduced to junk with weeds and grass growing over them as the vehicles have been kept in the open air for a long time.
Even as the State Police has written repeatedly to Delhi Police to take back the cars they seized, there has been no positive response from their Delhi counterparts, disclosed the source.
Moreover, acting on a petition filed by some persons, the Supreme Court had directed the State Police to return the cars to the genuine owners.
However the Imphal West District Police is unable to follow the directive of the Supreme Court as it is really tedious to find out the authentic owners as most of the vehicles have passed through several hands.
Further, Delhi Police has taken over all the cases relating to the seized cars now being kept at Imphal West District Police Hqs.
As such, the State Police have no right to dispose the cases, said the source adding that they were just helping their Delhi counterparts.
The source noted that the it cost enormous amounts and face numerous other inconveniences to take back the cars to Delhi.
In November 2004 and February last year, Delhi Police seized 51 stolen cars from Imphal.