Fact check: Did HC order traffic police not to seize vehicles?

"Traffic police can't seize vehicle pending challan says Telangana High court," reads the message.

(Find the archived link to the post here)

We also came across another post with the similar claim which stated, "Traffic police cannot seize vehicles on the ground of pending challans (English translated version of the claim)."

(Find the archived version of the link here)

Fact check:

The claims are false. As per rule 167 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, the police are authorized to seize a vehicle that has any pending traffic violation challan for 90 days. The High court is being misquoted by the social media users.

News Meter through keyword search came across a tweet by the Cyberabad Traffic Police. "It is learnt that there is false news being spread by a few persons in social media that the Honourable High court of Telangana state has ordered that the traffic police have no powers to seize the vehicles for non-payment of challans. It is clarified here that there is no such order of the high court and that some persons with reasons known to them have been issuing misleading statements in the media and social media creating confusion among the public. ..," police said.

According to the notice issued by Cyberabad traffic police, it is clear that these misleading claims popped up as a result of the high court directing a writ petitioner to submit a fresh application to the police seeking the release of vehicles as per law.

The person also appeared before the Rajendranagar Traffic Police on August 19, 2021, and paid the pending challan online as per rule 167 of the CMVRs, 1989 and got the vehicle released by law. But for reasons unknown, the writ petitioner is hiding all of these facts stated by the police and is making misleading claims by misquoting the high court.

, "As per rule 167 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, the police is authorized to detain a vehicle that has any pending traffic violation challan which is more than 90 days old (sic)," traffic police said.

Cyberabad police have also posted the same public notice on Facebook.

According to an article by News Meter: "The Cyberabad traffic police clarified that the high court has issued no such order and that some persons have been issuing misleading statements in the media and social media, creating confusion among the public".

We also came across an article by the Deccan Chronicle which stated: "The police said false news was being spread that the High Court of Telangana had ordered that the "traffic police have no powers to seize the vehicles for non-payment of challans." The police said there was no such blanket order and that some persons, for reasons best known to them, were issuing misleading statements in the media and social media creating confusion among the public. Legal action was being considered against those spreading this false information, the police said."

Conclusion: Hence the claim is false because as per rule 167 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, the police are authorized to confiscate a vehicle that has any pending traffic violation challan for more than 90 days. The high court is being misquoted by social media users.