The Gujarat Assembly on Thursday passed a significant amendment to the Gujarat Prohibition Act, allowing the state government to auction vehicles confiscated in liquor smuggling cases.
The Gujarat Prohibition (Amendment) Bill 2024 was passed by a majority vote, despite opposition from the four Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs. Congress legislators, however, were absent from the House due to a suspension for the day.
The Bill, introduced by Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi, seeks to address the longstanding issue of vehicles seized under prohibition laws languishing in police stations and court compounds for years, often deteriorating into disrepair.
According to the Act, vehicles involved in the transport of more than 20 litres of liquor could not be released on bond or surety until a court’s final judgment. The new amendment, however, allows for the auctioning of such vehicles, ensuring their timely disposal and better utilisation of resources.
During the Bill’s presentation, Sanghavi highlighted the impact of high-speed vehicles in bootlegging operations. “In the last two years, 22,442 vehicles have been seized in connection with bootlegging. Of these, 7,213 vehicles are still lying at police stations,” he said, noting that among them are approximately 300 luxury cars.
Sanghavi further explained that Gujarat is pioneering this approach in India by introducing legislation to address the issue.
A deputy superintendent of police-rank officer will be responsible for auctioning the vehicles.
Importantly, the Bill includes a provision that if the accused is later acquitted, they will receive the proceeds from the auction, along with 5 per cent annual interest.
The Minister also emphasised that auctioning the vehicles promptly will ensure they fetch good prices, which in turn will contribute to welfare schemes for the poor. This Bill follows an ordinance on the same subject, promulgated by the government on 31 July, which the new legislation will now replace.
The AAP’s opposition to the Bill centred on concerns regarding the fairness of auctioning vehicles before a final court ruling. Despite these objections, the Bill passed comfortably in the Assembly.
With the passage of this Bill, the Gujarat government hopes to reduce the burden on police stations, prevent valuable assets from turning into scrap and channel funds towards social welfare, all while maintaining its strict stance on prohibition.
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