Thiruvananthapuram: City police have identified 791 unclaimed vehicles lying at various police stations under city limits and initiated steps to dispose of them through e-auction, subject to a final 30-day claim period for owners.According to a notice issued by the city police on Aug 6, 2026, the vehicles span different categories and have remained unclaimed at police stations. The notice was issued under Section 56 of the Kerala Police Act, 2011, and a govt order dated Sept 11, 2018, which lays down procedures for disposing of seized, abandoned, confiscated and unclaimed vehicles.Police have invited anyone claiming ownership of the vehicles to approach the concerned station house officer with documents establishing ownership, and to establish their right to take possession in accordance with law.If no claim is received within 30 days of the notification, the vehicles will be treated as unclaimed and auctioned through MSTC Ltd, a govt-owned e-commerce service provider. The e-auction will be conducted on MSTC platform, while details will be made available on its website.The move is part of the state’s continuing effort to clear large numbers of abandoned and seized vehicles occupying space at police stations and other govt premises. Such vehicles can deteriorate rapidly when kept in the open for long periods, besides creating storage and safety problems.The govt’s 2018 order was introduced to establish a systematic mechanism for disposing of seized and abandoned vehicles. The high court, in a 2022 judgement, noted that the order was framed to address abandoned, seized and confiscated vehicles accumulating on roadsides and within police stations and govt office premises, and upheld the validity of the disposal framework.Under the framework, vehicles seized in connection with cases are generally required to be dealt with as per directions of the competent court. For abandoned vehicles, authorities must invite claims and follow the prescribed forfeiture and auction procedures. Section 56 of the Kerala Police Act also provides for a proclamation inviting claims to unclaimed articles and permits their auction if no legitimate claimant comes forward within the stipulated period.MSTC, which will handle the e-auction, is a mini ratna category-I central public sector enterprise under the ministry of steel, govt of India. It has provided e-auction services to govt departments since 2002.
