Shillong, March 27: VPP MLA Ardent Basaiawmoit has asked the state government to take action against those who are behaving themselves like VIPs by using tinted glasses.
During the question hour on Monday, Basaiawmoit raised the issue in the Assembly and said that there are too many people who are behaving themselves as VIPs.
According to Basaiawmoit, people are using tinted glasses sometimes are friends, relatives or business partners of those at the helm of affairs.
He pointed out that Supreme Court on April 27, 2012 had prohibited the use of tinted glasses on vehicles beyond the permissible limit prescribed under the Motor Vehicles Act, saying its use was a social evil and helped criminals to escape from the clutches of law.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice SH Kapadia said the manufacturer may produce the vehices with tinted glasses having Visual Ligth Transmission (VLT) of safety glasses windscreen (front and rear) as 70 per cent and side glasses as 40 per cent VLT, respectively.
The bench had asked the Home Secretary, as well as police heads of the respective states to ensure compliance with its direction, which became operative since May 4, 2012.
The bench had also said,”Use of these black films has been proved to be a criminal’s paradise and a social evil. This certainly helps the criminals to escape from the eyes of the police and aids in commission of heinous crimes lke sexual assualt on women, robberies, kidnapping etc. If these crimes can be reduced by enforcing the prohibition of law, it would further the cause of rule of law and public interest as well.”
Replying to the questions, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma informed the House that immediate action is taken whenever complaints have come to the notice of the government. “Even in my vehicle I don’t put black films”, he added.
103 VIPs in state
There are 103 VIPs in the different categories which include 2 under Z+ category, 10 under Z category, 19 Y category and 72 X category.
Conrad said the security entitlements of protected persons is as per ‘Yellow Book’, a secret document of security arrangement.
The chief minister added that he is restricted to give too many details on the yellow book.
