<p>The much-publicised release of private vehicles seized during the lockdown got off to a rather rocky start on Friday. </p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-live-updates-india-records-highest-deaths-in-a-single-day-toll-stands-at-886-tally-crosses-28000-827545.html">Follow latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic here</a></strong></p>.<p>At many police stations, vehicle owners were turned away for not wearing masks or failing to follow social-distancing rules. Some were sent back due to the unavailability of stamp papers as banks were closed for May Day. </p>.<p>But it wasn’t all gloom. The lucky ones who got their vehicles back were presented with roses. </p>.<p>The announcement about releasing the vehicles was made by Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao on Thursday. That built up the excitement among vehicle users. The task of returning the vehicles was given to law and order police stations. </p>.<p>As a result, large crowds gathered at police stations in the morning itself. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-india-update-state-wise-total-number-of-confirmed-cases-deaths-on-may-1-832113.html">Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths</a></strong></p>.<p>As per court directions, vehicle owners are required to given an undertaking on stamp papers that they would not hit the streets again during the lockdown. The condition made the process tricky. With banks closed, vehicle owners scrambled to get the stamp papers. Police turned them away, promising to notify them when to come again. At some police stations, however, cops took the undertaking on plain paper and released the vehicles after collecting the fine and other relevant documents. </p>.<p>The other jolt that vehicle users received was they had to get an NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the traffic police that they had a clean record (meaning they didn’t have any pending traffic violation). Vehicle owners with pending cases were asked to pay the fine and get the NOC. </p>.<p>B R Ravikanthe Gowda, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), said the process would take time as the documents submitted by the vehicle owners were still being checked. </p>.<p>Rao said that although the lockdown had been extended by two weeks, the seized vehicles were being released in the public interest. He, however, warned that new vehicles would continue to be seized for violating the lockdown. </p>
<p>The much-publicised release of private vehicles seized during the lockdown got off to a rather rocky start on Friday. </p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-live-updates-india-records-highest-deaths-in-a-single-day-toll-stands-at-886-tally-crosses-28000-827545.html">Follow latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic here</a></strong></p>.<p>At many police stations, vehicle owners were turned away for not wearing masks or failing to follow social-distancing rules. Some were sent back due to the unavailability of stamp papers as banks were closed for May Day. </p>.<p>But it wasn’t all gloom. The lucky ones who got their vehicles back were presented with roses. </p>.<p>The announcement about releasing the vehicles was made by Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao on Thursday. That built up the excitement among vehicle users. The task of returning the vehicles was given to law and order police stations. </p>.<p>As a result, large crowds gathered at police stations in the morning itself. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-india-update-state-wise-total-number-of-confirmed-cases-deaths-on-may-1-832113.html">Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths</a></strong></p>.<p>As per court directions, vehicle owners are required to given an undertaking on stamp papers that they would not hit the streets again during the lockdown. The condition made the process tricky. With banks closed, vehicle owners scrambled to get the stamp papers. Police turned them away, promising to notify them when to come again. At some police stations, however, cops took the undertaking on plain paper and released the vehicles after collecting the fine and other relevant documents. </p>.<p>The other jolt that vehicle users received was they had to get an NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the traffic police that they had a clean record (meaning they didn’t have any pending traffic violation). Vehicle owners with pending cases were asked to pay the fine and get the NOC. </p>.<p>B R Ravikanthe Gowda, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), said the process would take time as the documents submitted by the vehicle owners were still being checked. </p>.<p>Rao said that although the lockdown had been extended by two weeks, the seized vehicles were being released in the public interest. He, however, warned that new vehicles would continue to be seized for violating the lockdown. </p>
