Vahana Mela: 320 seized vehicles returned to owners in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam City Police returns 320 seized vehicles to rightful owners in 'Vahana Mela' drive, following Union Home Ministry procedures.

In the ‘Vahana Mela’ special drive held here on Tuesday, the Visakhapatnam City Police (VCP) returned 320 seized vehicles, including motorbikes and auto-rickshaws, to their rightful owners, following the procedures outlined by the Union Home Ministry.

While in the first mela held on February 19, 2025, the police returned 152 vehicles to the owners, in the second mela held on Tuesday, April 22, 320 vehicles, including 272 vehicles (seized by the traffic department), 37 vehicles (seized in crime cases), and 11 vehicles seized by law & order were returned.

Speaking to media persons on the occasion, Commissioner Shanka Brata Bagchi said that vehicles seized by the police in criminal and traffic-related cases often remain unclaimed for years due to various legal or procedural hurdles faced by the owners. As a result, many vehicles become useless over time, lose their value and become junk. To address this issue, they have started this `Vahana Mela’ to hand over such vehicles without any financial burden on the owners.

“We have followed the procedures outlined by the Union Home Ministry to ensure smooth implementation. We have obtained the address details of the vehicle owners from RTO records and police station files, and have even constituted a special task force to identify and contact the owners,” Mr. Bagchi added.