MVR 250,000 in compensation for unlawfully destroying towed car

Civil Court has ordered Maldives Police Service to pay MVR 250,000 in compensation for unlawfully destroying a car towed by the police.

A vehicle towed by the police can only be destroyed if the owner does not reclaim the vehicle, after 60 days of publicizing the information about the towed vehicle. The car in question in this case was destroyed without such an announcement.

The owner of the car filed a lawsuit against the police, requesting to be compensated with another car of the same brand, or the price of the car.

Civil Court judgment in the case on Wednesday read that the evidence submitted proved the car was destroyed unlawfully. In this regard, it was established that police had announced the car had been towed after the vehicle was destroyed.

Therewith, Civil Court had ordered the police to pay MVR 250,000 in compensation to the owner, within a one-month period, starting Wednesday.

Similar complaints have been raised in the past concerning vehicles towed by the police.