Pune: The Pune rural police are struggling to prepare panchanama reports of over 128 burnt vehicles because chassis numbers of a majority of them were extensively damaged in riots during the 200 year celebrations of the Koregaon Bhima battle on January 1.
Police officials claimed that in most cases the chassis melted, making it impossible to get the numbers. Agitated over the delay, villagers demanded the police should prepare the panchanamas based on vehicle registration documents they had. But the police expressed their inability to do so.
The local villagers have to send their applications to the Tehsil office for compensation. But they cannot apply for it in the absence of Panchanama report.
A local resident told TOI that it was very difficult to identify the burned vehicles. "My friend and I managed to track down our bikes damaged in the violence. But how do we prove they are ours?" he asked, refusing to divulge his identity.
Shikrapur police said they were preparing panchanama reports on a war-footing but the problem was non-availability of registration and chassis numbers.
Many four-wheelers, including police vans, buses, cars, autorickshaws, tempos and two-wheelers were set ablaze by the mob on the Koregaon Bhima-Sanaswadi stretch. Many vehicles were damaged in stone-pelting. The Shikrapur and Lonikand police are registering cases and offences in this regard.
