The Delhi Traffic Police told the High Court that 11,439 e-rickshaws had been impounded by its enforcement staff till May this year for running on city roads despite a ban.

A bench of Justice Suresh Kait was informed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic (HQ) that in compliance of the court's January 27 order, a specific direction was issued to all functionaries to take strict action against e-rickshaws found plying on Delhi roads in "true letter and spirit".

"...pursuant to the direction of the court, till May 10, 2015 the Delhi Traffic Police have impounded a total of 11,439 e-rickshaws for plying on the roads in violation of the direction of the High Court under the provisions of Motor Vehicle (MV) Act, 1998 and Delhi Police Act 1978," the traffic police said in their status report.

The report further said that "out of these 11,439 e-rickshaws impounded, 10,521 e-rickshaws have been impounded under Delhi Police (DP) Act and 918 under MV Act.

"Further, 5,157 e-rickshaws which were impounded under DP Act have been released by the concerned ACPs traffic and 516 e-rickshaws which were impounded under MV Act have been released by the various courts after fine." The court was hearing Shahnawaz Khan's contempt petition, filed through advocate Sugriva Dubey, which has alleged that e-rickshaws are continuing to operate in the national capital in violation of the court's September 9, 2014 direction.

The traffic police in the status report, filed by Delhi government's standing counsel Raman Duggal to the contempt plea of Shahnawaz Khan alleging non-compliance of the court's orders, said that there shall "not be any laxity in this respect in enforcing the directions of the court".

It further said that 5766 e-rickshaws (5364 impounded under DP Act and 402 impounded under MV Act) still remain to be released.