Patiala Police’s soft corner towards ‘VIP’ violators raises eyebrows
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ May 15,2025
Even 13 years after the Supreme Court banned the use of black film on window glasses of vehicles, self-styled VIPs of Patiala continue to flout the norms.
As per Supreme Court orders, use of films or any other material upon the windscreen or the side windows is impermissible in law. But, Patialavies , openly flout norms barring the use of black film, curtains , sunscreens , shades on vehicles. All these are illegal as anything that obstructs visibility is deemed illegal.
It seems the residents of royal city Patiala feels proud in violating the rules as they belong to a VIP city and traffic police remains a mute spectator. They openly use black films on their vehicles. Even many of them have hooters fitted in their vehicles (used to get quicker passage). They not only uses hooters on the highways but also on the city roads. Even many of the VIPs, officers, police officials use a multi coloured light atop on their personal vehicles. These all goes unchecked, right under the nose of Patiala traffic police.
Though the district administration issues orders against the use of black films and lights atop vehicles “without the permission from the Additional DGP (Traffic)” but it seems that all go in vein as Patialavies, VIPs, officers, their wards feel proud to disobey the government orders as traffic policemen are unable to challan VIP vehicles as it invites the wrath of their seniors. These self-styled VIPs continue to flout norms pertaining to black filming and multi-coloured lights atop private vehicles. Some of the VIPs are using High Security number plates in an illegal manner, not as per rules and regulations.
A majority of people driving these vehicles are kith and kin of some police officers, administrative officers, politicians or influential residents.
In a regular exercise, almost after every quarter, the district administration issues ban order on the use of black film as well as the unauthorised use of a light atop vehicles, under Section 144 of the CrPC . But all these orders remained in papers only.
Meanwhile, car accessories shops continue to paste black filming on cars and SUVs across the city, with no action against them.
Gurpreet a resident said,’ it’s not a rocket science or a tedious task which the traffic police can’t do. There are limited numbers of shops who are into the business of black films, supplying flasher lights, hooters to these self styled VIPs. Strict instructions can be issued to them to not to do this and inform the police who so ever visit them for these violations.”
Narinder, a businessman said ,” the traffic police challan a common man for traffic related violations like riding without helmet, without seat belt etc. But the same traffic cops never challan a VIP. The traffic cops have never challaned SUVs moving on high beam or parking with high beam on in the city. The city has worst traffic management system”
When contacted the superintendent of police (SP) traffic, KK Panthey, PPS, he admitted that “violations are there. I am taking your point. We will definitely do the needful and we will review it after 3-4 days. “He further added that “I am moving in the city. I have not heard any vehicle is using hooter in the city. I’ll ask my team to intensify the checking and challan them.”
‘Patiala Traffic Police Mobile App’
In the past, Patiala Police had launched an Android mobile app ‘Patiala Traffic Police Mobile App’ which can be used by the public to report visible traffic violations to the police. The Patiala traffic police had even launched e challan system under the command of than SP (Traffic) Patiala Palwinder Singh Chemma.
At that time, Cheema had said that using the app, now public can report visible traffic violations such as riding two-wheeler without using helmet, riding triple, using cellphone while driving, jumping signal, driving four wheeler without seat belt, four wheeler using black glasses, wrong parking along with other traffic violations, by sending the photo with clear number plate of the violator to the police, by using the traffic police app. Once a traffic violation is successfully submitted, an electronic challan will be generated by the traffic police which will have the photo of the violation and the fine to be paid.”
What Supreme Court Says:
As per Supreme Court’s April 27, 2012, order, passed by a 3-Judge bench of the Supreme Court (Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia, Justice A.K. Patnaik, and Justice Swatanter Kumar) in the case of Avishek Goenka v. Union of India (Writ Petition (Civil) No. 265 of 2011) banned the use of black films on the car windows / windscreens . The limits of 30% and 50% on the front/rear windscreens and side windows, respectively, are in fact the maximum permissible limits for the tinted glass that comes with the car when you buy it from the manufacturer. In so far as the black films (of any shades, grey or fully black) are concerned, they are completely banned irrespective of the percentage of visual light transmission (VLT) blocked or allowed by them.
Another important fact is that it is also not permissible to use “any other material” (such as curtains, for example) on the car windows, etc. Thus, it would not be possible to cover the car windows by any other material also, and the ban is not just for the black films.
