THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vehicles chartered for self-drive from shady `rent-a-car' agencies are being used for criminal purposes, according to the State police. A Tata Indica car leased from an agency in the city was used for carrying out an armed robbery at Ashok Nagar in Bangalore on May 31. A joint operation by the Kerala and Karnataka police resulted in the arrest of three of the suspects from the city on Tuesday last.

Last month, the Mysore police intercepted a Mahindra Scorpio van with illicit spirit near Chenkalpettah. The suspects had borrowed the vehicle from a rent-a-car agency in the city. The vehicle owner was innocent of the crime and had loaned his car to the agency in good faith, the police said. Only few car rental agencies have their own fleet of vehicles. Most operate by borrowing vehicles from private individuals.

A car rental owner in Kollam found himself in a tight spot this February after the police found that a `hit team' had used his vehicle for killing `Aprani' Krishnakumar, an alleged gang leader, on the National Highway bypass near Chakka. The assailants abandoned the vehicle in a desolate spot immediately after the murder.

Inspector General of Police, South Zone, Arun Kumar Sinha, said most gangland operators, particularly those with inter-State links, used hired cars for their illegal activities. He said car rental operators have been asked to keep a logbook of their operations for police inspection. The Union Government had legalised self-driven car rental service in 1989. It asked such service providers to register their agencies and vehicles with the regional transport authorities. It also specified a colour and font scheme for registration plates of cars loaned for self-drive.

The police said these rules are observed more in their breach and several car rental agencies operate unauthorisedly. Certain corrupt Government officials have also invested in such agencies. Certain influential businessmen illegally loaned their luxury vehicles for foreigners and Non Resident Indians on short visits to the city.

A taxi operator in the city said these days only few car rental agencies offered vehicles for self-drive. The police are also concerned about the growing number of `rent-a-bike' agencies, particularly in Nedumangadu and Karunagapally. Hired bikes have often been used for carrying out gangland hits and chain snatching operations.

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