On Thursday, July 31, the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the Regional Transport Officer and the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) to take immediate action against vehicles equipped with illegal sirens, flash lights, VIP stickers, and irregular number plates, in violation of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and a circular issued by the Bhopal Police Headquarters on March 1, 2025.
The Division Bench comprising Justice Vivek Rusia and Justice Binod Kumar Dwivedi passed the order while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Mahesh Garg, a social worker and former councillor. The Court issued notice to the State Government and listed the matter for further hearing after four weeks.
The Bench observed:
"We hereby direct the Regional Transport Officer and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) to immediately take action against those vehicles violating the circular dated 01.03.2025. One week's time is granted to all private vehicle owners to remove flash lights, sirens, and to change number plates in compliance with the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which prescribes the size, font, and colour of number plates. Any additional plates above or below the number plate must also be removed, except in the case of police and government vehicles."
In his plea, the petitioner raised serious concerns about the widespread use of unauthorized vehicle modifications across Indore, including hooters, flashing lights (red, yellow, blue), VIP stickers, and fancy or distorted number plates. He submitted that despite the March 1 circular instructing a 15-day enforcement drive against such violations, no sustained or effective action had been taken by the authorities.
The petitioner argued that these modifications not only breach statutory provisions but also pose significant risks to public safety and contribute to traffic indiscipline. Furthermore, the misuse of VIP stickers by unauthorized individuals undermines public confidence in law enforcement and promotes a false sense of entitlement.
Invoking Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, the plea contended that administrative inaction violates the public’s right to safety, lawful conduct, and equal treatment. It was also brought to the Court’s attention that despite a written representation made to the concerned authorities seeking remedial action, no tangible steps were taken.
The petitioner accordingly sought directions for the strict implementation of the Motor Vehicles Act, as well as a mandate for a continuous, statewide enforcement campaign beyond specific dates, with periodic compliance reports to be published in the public domain.
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