PNS|Visakhapatnam
In a move towards citizen-centric policing, the Visakhapatnam city police conducted the second edition of its innovative “Vehicle Fair” on Tuesday, aimed at returning seized motor vehicles to their rightful owners, free of charge. This pioneering initiative, the first of its kind in the country, seeks to alleviate the challenges faced by vehicle owners who often encounter legal and procedural delays in reclaiming their vehicles. Over time, many of these vehicles deteriorate, losing both value and functionality.
The Vehicle Fair was designed as a streamlined process to ensure the efficient return of such vehicles, in line with the guidelines set by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Collaborating with the Regional Transport Office (RTO), police teams meticulously verified ownership records from various police stations and reached out to vehicle owners.
The first fair, held on February 19, successfully returned 152 vehicles. Based on the positive feedback received, the second fair saw 320 vehicles being returned—272 by the Traffic Department, 37 by the Crime Department, and 11 by the Law & Order Department. City Police Commissioner Dr. Shankhabrata Bagchi formally handed over the vehicles, marking a total of 472 beneficiaries from the initiative.
