- (1.) This writ petition, by way of public interest litigation, has been preferred by Legal Aid Clinic, University Law College, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur through its Director Dr. Bhagwan Das Rawat, inter-alia, with prayer that respondents be directed to dispose of all seized vehicles lying at police stations in Rajasthan at earliest by following due process of law and they be further directed to develop a mechanism so that such vehicles may not be stored at various police stations for unusually long period thereby getting the same damaged.
(2.) Shri N.C. Goyal, learned counsel for petitioner, has submitted that the Supreme Court in Sunderbhai Ambalal Desai v. State of Gujarat, AIR 2003 SC 638 , has framed detailed guidelines to be followed by respondents in all such matters and copies of that judgment were endorsed to the Registry of all the High Courts of the country, who were required to ensure that Rules are framed with regard to such articles. The Supreme Court required the courts to pass such order within a period of six months from the date of production of vehicles before them and to take photographs of such vehicles before handing over possession thereof.
(3.) Learned counsel for petitioner further submitted that this court, by order dated 23.07.2014, required the respondents to provide a breakup of all vehicles lying in 'malkhana' of various police stations of the State for over five years. Details produced by respondents clearly show that all vehicles are stored with police for last so many years and no steps have been taken by them to dispose of such articles/vehicles, in accordance with law.;