Srinagar, Sep 2: With deadline announced by Traffic Police for vehicles to voluntarily shun tinted films having ended on August 20, around 35 vehicles including an army Gypsy have been seized from the City while the police says the cabs would be released but only on Court directions.
 Till August 20, tinted vehicles were being challaned. But vide a public notification the Traffic Police had announced that thereafter any vehicles found using tint would be seized.

35 AND GROWING
 For now, the seized lot has started gathering dust at the Poloview office of Traffic Police. Among the cabs is the tinted army Gypsy. Sources said the cab belongs to Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) regiment of the army camped at Rangreth on the City outskirts.

JAKLI GYPSY FATE
 Call it fate or coincidence, but Traffic police seized the Army vehicle at Jehangir Chowk in the City centre close to the day when MLA Langate Engineer Rashid condemned the alleged move of the JAKLI of “debarring the Director General of Police and a senior minister from entering its headquarters at Rangreth recently.”
 Engineer Rasheed alleged that “the DGP Ashok Prasad and senior cabinet minister RS Chib were humiliated and not allowed to enter the premises of the headquarters a couple of days ago.”

RULES ARE RULES
 Sources said even though the JAKLI people had approached the Traffic police officials requesting that the vehicle be released on “friendly basis”, men-in-blue pleaded that “rules are rules, equal for all.”
 The JAKLI people are understood to have been told to get release orders from the Court, the way other offenders have been asked to.

 OFFICIAL SPEAKS
 A lower rung official of Traffic Police who seized the JAKLI Gypsy said he caught the
 cab in adherence to the apex Court ruling adding that the vehicle was instantly towed away to the Traffic Police office.
 “Anyone found violating the apex Court ruling will be taken to task as per norms,” an official said.

APEX COURT RULING
 Earlier this year in April in Supreme Court banned the use of tinted glass on motor-vehicles. Thereafter in May the Jammu and Kashmir High Court directed the state government to file compliance report to the directives issued by the Supreme Court 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.

THE CLEAR CUR ORDERS
 While hearing the petition, the counsel produced copy of 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.”
  "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.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 2 Sep 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 2 Sep 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 3 Sep 2012 00:00:00 IST