Take away pressure horns from prosecuted vehicles: HC to traffic police

The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the police to "forfeit" pressure horns, in accordance with law, while prosecuting owners of vehicles having such accessories.

The court also directed the police to continue taking action against vehicles, including two wheelers, which are using pressure horns and silencers.

"Why are you not forfeiting the pressure horns? Do it in accordance with law," a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar ordered the Delhi Traffic Police.

With the above directions, the bench disposed of the petition, saying in view of the action being taken by the police there was no need to further monitor the PIL filed by an NGO represented by advocate Harpreet Singh Hora.

The order came after the traffic police told the court that between June 4 to July 22, 6,315 motorists were prosecuted for using pressure horns in the city and 53 others for use of modified silencers.

The police also told the court that from July 23 to October 8, 6,157 motorists were prosecuted for using pressure horns and 390 for having modified silencers.

The NGO, Justice for Rights Foundation, and a law student Prateek Sharma in the plea had sought a ban on manufacture, sale and use of various kinds of pressure horns, speakers and modified silencers, including those in Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles, in the national capital.

The petitioners had contended that directions given in a 2007 judgement of the high court regarding use of such devices were not being implemented as the traffic police was only issuing challans for use of the pressure horns and letting the offending vehicle go without removing the device.

This would lead to the offence being repeated again, the petitioners had contended.

The plea had claimed that the vehicular noise pollution menace was rampant in areas like the North Campus here, specifically Malka Ganj, Hudson Lane, Vijay Nagar, Gupta Colony, Chhatra Marg and other areas in and around the Delhi University (DU).