NAGPUR: City police are gearing up to return seized property worth crores of rupees to citizens after completion of legal formalities. These properties had been retained at police stations for various criminal cases. Some of the properties, like cash, gold and silver, are learnt to have been stored at police stations for several decades.
Though the drive had kicked-started towards the end of last year, with around 250 valuables worth around a crore handed over, another 38,000 items would be returned shortly. On Saturday, city polices’ cyber cell had set a benchmark by returning 111 missing mobile phones worth Rs 32 lakh to their owners.
City police chief Amitesh Kumar said zonal DCPs have been urged to update the lists of the ‘muddemal’ or seized properties and ascertain their legal status so as to facilitate their return to their owners. “An instruction has been issued to police stations to issue NOC related to seized properties after legal formalities are completed. This will help owners approach the court to get clearance,” he said.
The top cop said several of the seized properties may have been lying with police stations for almost 25 years or so. “The personnel dealing with the seized properties have been briefed and asked to prepare the final list after checking legal status, or even approaching the courts for orders,” said the top cop.
The CP said the objective is that owners must get their valuables back after the case is disposed off. “We have already returned valuables after big recoveries by detection staffers,” said Kumar.
After Kumar took charge in Nagpur, 400-500 abandoned vehicles at police stations were sold through e-auction while another 1,740 are ready for the second auction. In the third phase, another 2,000 vehicles would be auctioned.