Police stare at tinted glasses

It seems that the Police Department is least interested in acting against those who violate the Supreme Court order which banned sticking of dark films on the glasses of vehicles which hamper visibility. On top of this, police officers who are in charge of enforcing the ban are also found not adhering to the ban with some officers finding it convenient to travel behind ‘curtains’.


Though it is almost two months since the order was issued, many vehicle-owners seem least interested in removing the dark films. The lethargy of the cops has resulted in continued  violation of the apex court’s verdict.


‘’Neither the police nor the traffic police have initiated any action against those who still cruise in their vehicles with dark tinted glass. But the Motor Vehicles Department has begun to take action,” a source in the traffic police said.



Many officers in the department have fixed curtains on their windows and rear glass of their vehicles. The use of curtains by the officers was brought to the attention of the Home Minister by Abdurahiman Randathani MLA in the Assembly.


Replying to the question of the MLA, Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said on June 18 that curtains are being used by certain police officers in their official vehicles but that does not hinder visibility. But the fact is that the curtains used by many officers  have zero visibility.


‘’Some of the officers have fixed curtains in their official vehicles after the Supreme Court order. The bizarre thing is that most of the curtains are fully opaque,’’ said a police officer, who preferred anonymity.


However, the inactivity maintained by the cops towards the infringement has aroused resentment among those who obeyed the law at the first instance and removed the tinted films.


‘’I removed the dark tint on the glass as soon as the Supreme Court order was implemented. But now I feel it was a foolish act as many of the vehicles still roam with dark glasses with zero visibility,’’ said Binoj M, a resident of Kuravankonam.


But DGP Jacob Punnoose said that the department was engaged in implementing the Supreme Court order and a circular has been issued for the same. ‘


’The court order is silent about the use of curtains. So right now we need not issue a directive against the use of that,’’ the DGP said when asked about the use of curtains in the vehicles of some police officers.