Ludhiana biggest ‘vehicle graveyard’ in Punjab: report shows only fraction of 35k piled up with police cleared since May

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had ordered to draw up an action plan in May after a PIL highlighted the dire situation pertaining to vehicles lying in police yards. Ludhiana leads with 7,039 vehicles.

Written by Manraj Grewal Sharma

Chandigarh | Updated: August 22, 2025 01:49 PM IST

Among other districts, Fazilka (2,352 vehicles) and Mansa (1,679) show big stockpiles but little progress — only 85 and 49 cleared, respectively. (File)

A staggering 35,323 vehicles seized in various cases or left unclaimed, had been lying in police stations across Punjab of which less than 6,000 have been cleared since May, as per a report filed by the police before the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday.

The high court had ordered to draw up an action plan in May this year after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) highlighted the dire situation pertaining to vehicles seized in criminal, accident, and traffic cases in the state. Following this, the police launched a statewide disposal drive in mid-May, but progress has been slow: only 5,667 vehicles have been auctioned, returned, or scrapped so far, leaving 23,733 still clogging police yards.

Ludhiana tops the chart with 7,039 vehicles, nearly double that of 3,841 in SAS Nagar and 3,388 in Jalandhar. It also leads in clearance, having disposed of 1,945 vehicles in two and a half months, but still has over 5,000 pending.

“The numbers are staggering. Ludhiana’s figures alone show what happens when delays add up. The police are working faster now, but continued pressure from the court and public is essential,” said advocate Kanwar Pahul Singh, who had moved the PIL.

Among other districts, Fazilka (2,352 vehicles) and Mansa (1,679) show big stockpiles but little progress — only 85 and 49 cleared, respectively. Tarn Taran has 1,510 vehicles with just 30 processed. In contrast, Sangrur, Barnala, and Patiala report better performance, clearing nearly half their seized vehicles. Bathinda (1,656 total) has moved out 191, while Amritsar (Urban) cleared 126 of its 452 vehicles. Smaller districts like Malerkotla (264 total) and Sri Muktsar Sahib (216) show modest figures but relatively better rates of clearing.

Officers admit the task is far from over. With nearly 24,000 vehicles still rusting away, the cleanup is expected to take months. Till then, Ludhiana’s police yards remain the biggest “vehicle graveyard” in the state.

The police have appointed nodal officers in every district, prepared guideline booklets, and deployed additional staff for the drive. Vehicles are being categorised for auction, scrap, or return to owners as per legal procedure. Officers said the large number of vehicles had clogged Punjab’s stations for years.

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The report, signed by Amardeep Singh Rai, Special Director General of Police (Traffic and Road Safety), says the guidelines booklet mentions a 16-step disposal procedure, mandating the first eight steps to be completed within 15 days. It noted that every district and commissionerate has designated a nodal officer – Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Additional DCP, or Superintendent of Police (SP) – for vehicle disposal compliance. Dedicated staff teams comprising inspectors, sub-inspectors, head constables, constables, and computer operators have also been set up at each level.

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