The Madras High Court has directed the police and transport authorities to grant 60 days for motor vehicle owners to remove dark sun film from car windows, and seize vehicles which do not adhere to the deadline.
It also ordered that similar time limit be fixed for removing portraits of political or communal leaders from the dashboards failing which the officials should remove the portraits, kept facing outside to exert influence, and fine the vehicle owners.
Justices N. Kirubakaran (since retired) and B. Pugalendhi also ordered the conduct of random vehicle checks to remove dazzling and excessively bright motor vehicle lights. that do not comply with the rules, and obstruct the view of motorists travelling on the opposite side.
The vehicle owners must also be given two months’ time to fix their vehicle number plates in accordance with rules. Further, the National Highways Authority of India was directed to ensure that all highways were well lit.
The directions were issued while disposing of a writ petition which complained of law students using lawyers’ stickers on their vehicles. Sharing the petitioner’s concerns, the judges said many vehicles with political party flags, portraits of leaders, advocate and press stickers were said to be involved in criminal activities. “The purpose of having party flags or designation boards or portraits of party/communal leaders or advocate/press stickers is only to keep away the police away,” the Bench said.
Writing the judgment, Justice Kirubakaran said: “It has become an order of the day in Tamil Nadu that almost 50% of the vehicles either have party flags or designation boards or portraits of party/communal leaders or advocate/press stickers. This menace has to be addressed failing which the criminal activities will continue to be committed by the above modus operandi.”
