HYDERABAD, Dec 27: The procedure being adopted by the anti- car lifting cell (ACLC) for seizing vehicles, having tampered or punched registration numbers, is nothing but an exercise in futility.

This was stated by the deputy registrar of the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, in his report to the court the other day in response to an order, passed by Justice Mohammad Moosa K. Leghari on Nov 25.

The court official had arrived at the conclusion after going through the record, submitted by the ACLC officials and the DPO.

He did not rule out the possibility of punching and tampering with the registration numbers of the vehicles by the ACLC officials.

He stated that incidents of car lifting were increasing but the efforts, being undertaken by police to recover the snatched vehicles, were not satisfactory.

Proposing drastic action to contain such incidents, he proposed that checking of vehicles should be conducted under the supervision of area magistrate.

Justice Leghari had directed the directed the ACLC officials to produce entire record of vehicles, seized under section 550 Cr.PC.

The court had passed the order during hearing of a petition, filed by Mohammad Anees Rajput, who sought registration of a case against the DSP and the officials in charge of the ACLC, Hyderabad and Karachi.

Rajput stated that on July 11, the respondent officials had snatched his car (ABH-930) near Rajputana Hospital. He charged that the officials had demanded Rs100,000 bribe through their sub-ordinate staff.