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Delhi man sells Rs 55 lakh SUV for a ‘throwaway price’ due to… : ‘Penalty on common sense’

Gandotra, who bought the high-end car in 2018 for Rs 55 lakh, said it had been “meticulously maintained, ” and had just 74,000 km on the odometer.

Delhi’s current End-of-Life (EoL) policy means diesel vehicles older than ten years must be deregistered–regardless of condition

A Delhi resident, Ritesh Gandotra, recently had to part ways with his luxury Range Rover SUV–not by choice, but because of the National Capital Region’s strict enforcement of the 10-year diesel vehicle ban.

Gandotra, who bought the high-end car in 2018 for Rs 55 lakh, said it had been “meticulously maintained,” and had just 74,000 km on the odometer. The SUV had also spent nearly two years idle during the Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns, meaning it still had plenty of life left in it. “Easily over two lakh km,” he claimed.

But under Delhi’s current End-of-Life (EoL) policy, diesel vehicles older than ten years must be deregistered–regardless of condition. That left Gandotra with no option but to sell it outside the NCR at what he called “throwaway prices.” He voiced his frustration on X, writing:

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“This isn’t a green policy. It’s a penalty on responsible ownership and common sense.”

Watch the post:

यह मेरी 8 साल पुरानी डीजल Range Rover कार है। यह अब तक मात्र 74,000 किलोमीटर चली है।

Covid के दौरान यह 2 साल तक खड़ी रही, अब दिल्ली में 10 साल से ज़्यादा की डीजल कार पर बैन के कारण मुझे यह बेचनी पड़ेगी, जबकि

अभी यह Car आराम से 2 लाख किलोमीटर और भी चल सकती है, मगर

अब मैं इसे… pic.twitter.com/gqpdE2SP8l

— Jaiky Yadav (@JaikyYadav16) July 2, 2025

Though Gandotra later deleted the post, it had already sparked widespread discussion. Several users on social media weighed in, echoing his concerns.

One user commented, “The government’s rule is very wrong. No matter how old a vehicle gets, if the maintenance is proper, it can run for 50 years.”

Another pointed to the financial hit car owners take under this policy, saying, “Selling an old but well-maintained car and paying a hefty tax on a new one — this is the irony of Delhi-NCR’s diesel policy.”

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Others brought up broader urban planning issues. “If you really want to make Delhi clean and pollution-free, build a system where people don’t need a personal vehicle,” one user suggested. “Just imagine Delhi without the Metro — we’d be suffocating under traffic and pollution.”