SC allows registration of BS-IV compliant vehicles sold before lockdown

The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed registration of BS-IV vehicles that were sold in March but couldn't complete the process due to the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown, reported The Times of India.

The ruling applies to vehicles whose details were uploaded on the government’s Vahan portal.

The apex court had, two weeks ago, disallowed registration of BS-IV vehicles. The court was irked over the violation of its order and pulled up automobile dealers association for sale of BS-IV vehicles when the lockdown was announced in the last week of March and extended three times.

The court had on July 8 recalled the March 27 order by which it had allowed sale of BS-IV vehicles for 10 days across India, except in Delhi-NCR, after lifting of the Covid-19 lockdown.

The relief, which was later withdrawn, to permit sale of the BS-IV vehicles for a small window period after lifting of the lockdown was granted to the dealers by the apex court keeping in mind the fact that the country had decided to not to allow their sale after March 2020.

The bench, headed by Justice Arun Mishra and also comprising Justices B R Gavai and Krishna Murari, asked the automobile dealers association to place before it the details of vehicles sold either online or through direct sale during the lockdown period in last week of March.