The custody of the ‘terror car’, a Skoda Laura that was hijacked by terrorists Ajmal Amir Kasab and Ismail Khan on the night of 26/11 attacks, has been handed over to its owner Ramesh Arasa. The move came after a directive from the Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court on January 23.

However, Arasa who had earlier expressed the desire to sell off the vehicle will not be able to do so. “The cops got an undertaking signed by me which stated that I cannot sell the car before handing over the car,” said Arasa (57) who runs an eatery in Andheri. According to the police, the Skoda and the vehicle in which police officers Hemant Karkare, Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar were travelling when they were killed by the terrorists are part of property seized as evidence in the terror case. Also, Arasa will have to take the car to court whenever required during the 26/11 terror trial.

Meanwhile, Arasa said that he took back the car despite not being allowed to sell it, as he did not want it to “rot” in police custody.

On the night of 26/11, the two terrorists had hijacked the car from Arasa’s son Sharan at gunpoint. Sharan, along with two friends, was going to the Oberoi Hotel to check on a friend who had been evacuated after reports of firing there.

Currently, the silver-colour sedan has been spent to a service centre to fix up the bullet holes and smashed windscreen that was damaged during the encounter between the police and the two terrorists at Chowpatty.