Patna, Oct. 22: The police administration has decided to seize unclaimed property according to provisions in the Bihar Police Act, 2007. Director-general of police (DGP) Abhayanand said all superintendents of police have been asked to initiate action against unclaimed property under their jurisdiction. The police took over charge of 30 cottahs of land at Bihta in Patna rural. The Patna district magistrate has already been informed about the possession of the land, he said.

According to the provisions of the act, the district magistrate would notify possession of the land. If no claimant of the property turns up within six months, the government would finally take it over. And if there is a claimant, he/she would have to establish the ownership of the property, which could be in the form of land, flat or even money.

“The entire process has to be completed within six months by the district magistrate concerned,” the DGP said.

The decision to take charge of unclaimed property in the state was taken after a two-day review meeting presided over by chief minister Nitish Kumar, who directed the officials to take cases of economic offences on a priority basis. “This is a step towards checking economic offences in the state. People can give information about unclaimed property right from the station house officer to the DGP,” Abhayanand said.