In the run-up to Republic Day, the Delhi Police’s Special Cell conducted a mass survey and identified around 1,000 unsupervised parking spots near metro stations, railway stations, markets, malls, offices and residential areas as potential security “risks” due to unattended and abandoned vehicles, a lack of security protocols, and non-functional CCTV cameras.
Every year, Special Cell teams conduct risk assessments to ensure adequate security measures are maintained across the city ahead of Independence Day and Republic Day. Police said that after the Red Fort blast in November 2025, which led to the deaths of at least 12 people, surveys were intensified this time. Senior officers said that more than a dozen Special Cell teams were deployed across the city.
The exercise was conducted from December 16 to mid-January, said the police, adding that important “observations” were made and information was also shared with district deputy commissioners of police. However, due to a lack of adequate response, the Special Cell is learnt to have approached the Delhi Police commissioner, HT has learnt, according to senior officers at the police headquarters.
{{/usCountry}}The exercise was conducted from December 16 to mid-January, said the police, adding that important “observations” were made and information was also shared with district deputy commissioners of police. However, due to a lack of adequate response, the Special Cell is learnt to have approached the Delhi Police commissioner, HT has learnt, according to senior officers at the police headquarters.
{{/usCountry}}A senior police officer said, “We noted many small violations related to law and order, traffic and deployment. But a major violation and a security risk are the unattended cars across Delhi. We have identified at least 1,000 parking lots, mostly unauthorised, which do not have working CCTVs and have cars which have been left there for months, even years…We even asked a few DCPs to look into it. But its a major issue and so we have informed top officials, including the commissioner.”
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A second officer, also requesting anonymity, said, “We don’t know who the owners are, what’s inside the cars and why have they been left for ages. Even during the Red Fort blast, the accused used an i20 car which was in a parking lot near the monument for three hours but went unnoticed. We feel these unattended, old or abandoned cars need to be either returned to the owners or scrapped. They can’t be taking space in markets and other areas.”
Officers said they have asked district staff to start “seizing” the vehicles, as they also cause traffic problems.
Another officer with the police headquarters confirmed that the Special Cell “pointed out” the issues. “The unattended cars are not a new issue. We will work on a solution with other agencies as there are over 4,000 parking lots and these include authorised, as well as unauthorised areas,” the officer said.
According to the Delhi government data, a total of about 8.24 million vehicles are registered in Delhi.