Lockdown violations: K'taka HC permits release of 1.51 lakh vehicles seized by police officials

Bengaluru: Karnataka High Court on Tuesday permitted the release of around 1.51 lakh motor vehicles seized by police officials for lockdown violations by collecting a fine as a deposit.

A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Suraj Govindraj passed the order on the application made by the state government.

The owners of around 1.37 lakh seized two-wheelers will have to pay a tentative fine of ₹ 500 each, the owners of 7,400 seized four-wheelers will have to pay ₹ 1,000 each, and the owners of around 7,100 other types of vehicles will have to pay ₹ 2,000 each.

These amounts will be treated as deposits and the same can be appropriated towards payment of fine, if ultimately fine is imposed on the owners.

The release of vehicles is subject to the Prohibition of Vehicle Owners Under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and the Jurisdictional Magistrate Courts before the Indian Penal Code.