High Court raps Punjab for absence of bulletproof vehicle policy

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday rapped the State of Punjab for allowing a “notorious gangster” to use the bulletproof vehicle. Calling it a “shocking state of affairs”, the Bench asked the State Chief Secretary to examine the issue. The direction came after it emerged that the State had no policy or guidelines regulating the conversion of vehicles into bulletproof ones.

Expanding the scope of the writ petition seeking release of a bulletproof vehicle allegedly seized by the police, Justice Kuldeep Tiwari made the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways as respondents to ascertain if regulatory framework existed at the national level.

The court also gave additional time to Additional Solicitor-General of India Satya Pal Jain to seek instructions from the Ministries concerned and inform the court whether the Central Government had issued any policy to govern the modification or upgradation of vehicles into bulletproof ones.

The court was hearing a petition filed by the vehicle’s registered owner. Among other things, he contended through counsel Anju Sharma Kaushik and Amit Agnihotri that the SUV had been in illegal police possession since September 8, 2024.

The Bench was told that the petitioner’s son, stated to be “A-category” gangster involved in approximately 41 cases was using the vehicle after getting it modified/upgraded to bulletproof. “The case at hand is an eye-opener inasmuch as it reflects the shocking state of affairs in the State of Punjab. The reason being that, such a notorious gangster was, in order to run his empire of illegal activities, allowed to use the bulletproof vehicle in question,” Justice Tiwari asserted.

The Bench also took on record an affidavit filed by Punjab Director-General of Police Gaurav Yadav admitting that the State did not have any policy on the conversion of vehicles into bulletproof ones. It was stated that the security wing had now been directed to take up the matter with the State Government for constituting a committee to frame suitable guidelines.

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Unimpressed, the court directed that the Chief Secretary of Punjab file a personal affidavit before the next date of hearing, clearly stating what action had been taken on the suggestion of the DGP. “This court is of the view that the Chief Secretary, Government of Punjab, is required to examine the entire issue and to file his personal affidavit, disclosing therein the action taken on the request/suggestion made by the Director-General of Police, Punjab,” Justice Tiwari ordered.

Fixing the next date of hearing for May 9, the court made it clear that no further adjournments would be entertained from either side.