The Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed a trial court to reconsider the application of the owner of a luxury SUV seized in connection with a 2025 murder case, in which the main accused allegedly strangled his wife inside the vehicle. The SUV owner is not an accused in the case.
Court's Observations
Justice DD Bansal observed that both the Supreme Court and high courts have issued guidelines for releasing vehicles used in crimes when their owners are not involved, but the trial court failed to consider them while rejecting the plea.
Referring to an earlier MP high court ruling in the Bhajanlal vs State of MP case, the court noted that seized vehicles can be released on 'Superdnama' if the owner undertakes not to dispute that the vehicle was used in the offence and complies with conditions set by the court.
The court also noted that prolonged parking of seized vehicles at police stations leads to deterioration and creates an unnecessary burden on police authorities.
Petitioner's Argument
Petitioner Aditya Rajpoot, a resident of Gadarwara in Narsinghpur district, told the court that he had lent the SUV to his friend Shivam Rai on August 5, 2025, for a trip to Bhopal. Rai allegedly handed over the vehicle to Nitrin Dubey, who later used it in the alleged murder of his wife in Narsinghpur. Rajpoot argued that as the registered owner and not an accused in the case, he was entitled to custody of the vehicle, especially since the investigation had been completed and the SUV was no longer required for probe purposes.
High Court's Direction
Accepting his contention, the high court directed the trial court to hear the matter afresh before proceeding further with the trial. The court emphasized that the trial court must consider the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court and high courts regarding the release of seized vehicles to innocent owners.
