Jammu, May 4: Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed the state government to file compliance report to the directives issued by the Supreme Court of India, banning use of tinted glasses on motor-vehicles.
 The directions were passed in a Public Interest Litigation by a Division Bench of the State High Court comprising Acting Chief Justice Virender Singh and Justice Muhammad Yaqoob Mir.
 While hearing the petition, the counsel produced copy of a recent judgment passed by the Apex Court in case tiled Abishek Goenka Vs Union of India decided on April 27, 2012 in which while taking serious note on alarming rise in heinous crimes like kidnapping, sexual assault on women and dacoity, the court has prohibited the use of black films of any VLT percentage or any other material upon the safety glasses, wind screens (front and rear) and side glasses of all vehicles throughout the country.
 The Bench after going through the judgment of the Apex Court further observed that although the state does not require any reminder on score that there is no alternative for the authorities, but to comply with the directions of the Supreme Court, “yet having been seized of the cause, Bench finds no option but to reiterate the directions to ensure compliance by the official respondents and report compliance in this regard within two weeks time only”.
 A Bench of the Apex court had said that police officers should not only issue challans but also remove the black films from the offending vehicles.
 "No black film or any material can be pasted on the windscreens or side glasses of a vehicle," the bench said, imposing a complete ban on plastic films in unambiguous terms.
 On the Central Motor Vehicle Rules mandating a minimum visibility of 70 per cent for windscreens and 50 per cent for side windows, the SC has ruled that the parameters were for manufactures but once the vehicles came into the hands of buyers the specifications could not be changed. "None can be permitted to create his own device to bring down the percentage of the VLT (Visual Light Transmission) thereafter,'' the court said.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 4 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 4 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 5 May 2012 00:00:00 IST