Over 37,000 prosecuted for using tinted glass on vehicles

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Over 37,000 people were caught in the national capital this year for using tinted glass on their vehicles even as the past few months witnessed lesser prosecution due to an aggressive drive by the police.

A total of 37,231 people were prosecuted for the use of tinted glass or dark film on their vehicles, flouting the Central Motor Vehicles Rules of 1989, the whopping majority of which came in the first three months of this year.

According to Delhi Police statistics, 29,579 people were prosecuted for using tinted glass on their vehicles this year till March, while the figure from April one to August 15 was 7,652. In 2010, the police had fined 2,971 people.

"The decrease in number does not mean that we are not acting against them. It shows that our aggressive drive against vehicles with tinted glass acted as a deterrent and so there is lesser violation now," a senior police official said.

According to rules, there should be at least 70 per cent transparency in the front and rear windows and 50 per cent transparency on the side windows.

Many of those who were caught were asked to remove the tinted glass within 72 hours or go to court to get their licence back, the official said, adding the a strict direction appeared to be paying dividends in checking the menace.

From March, police have been asking the erring vehicle owners to remove tinted glass within 72 hours and produce their cars at police station to get back their related-documents or driving licences back.

Police began the drive against tinted glasses after some vehicles were found involved in crime against women. They also discovered that people preferred to pay fines when caught but did not remove films and there were many cases of multiple fines of same vehicles.

It was then the rule book came to police's rescue where they discovered that apart from prosecution, they can give directions to remove defect, impound a document to ensure compliance in three days failing which challan and the document could be sent to the court.

This, the official said, had the desired result instantly and many people started removing films from their vehicles on their own on the spot rather than taking directions.

The drive, he said, has reduced the ordinary sight of cars having jet-black tinted glasses where nothing could be seen inside.

The Supreme Court has in July sought response from the Centre on a petition seeking ban on the use of tinted glass in vehicles.

"Multiple instances of rape and molestation have been reported in cars with tinted glasses and more specifically in the national capital too, which has the best police allocation as a percentage of population in the nation," petitioner Abhishekh Goenka contended.

He submitted that criminals would be easily identified if there are no tinted glasses.

The court after hearing the contention issued notice to the Centre asking it to file response by the next date of hearing.