Pray for permission

Jamshedpur, Jan. 14: If your car has tinted glasses or black film pasted on windows, it is time to get them changed.

The district police have decided to launch a drive to strip off unauthorised tinted glass from cars soon. Those found violating the rule would also be prosecuted strictly.

Maintaining that the decision is to keep a tab on criminal activities, the East Singhbhum superintendent of police, Pankaj Kumar Darad, said the instructions would be followed strictly.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Darad said only those vehicle owners, who get an official permission from the district authorities would be allowed to use tinted glass. “We give permission to only those who are under security threat, like politicians or officials of the intelligence department. But, even they need to obtain a written permission from the deputy commissioner’s office or the superintendent of police,” he said. The owners need to apply to the district administration for the use of dark or reflective glass and permission is granted only after a through inquiry, he said.

According to the Indian law, the use of dark, black or reflective glasses in vehicles, is not permitted, he emphasised. And according to the rule, the windscreen and rear window glasses of motor vehicles should have a minimum visibility of at least 70 per cent and for the windows on the sides, a minimum visibility of 50 per cent is required. The glass specifications should also conform to the Indian Standards. The windscreen may only be of laminated safety glass and edges could be less jagged, than ordinary glass.

It may be mentioned here that cars with tinted glasses serve as the most ideal cover for criminals, as under no circumstances can a person sitting inside may be spotted from the outside. As a result, a hunted person can enjoy a peaceful ride in public.

Interestingly, in 2003, a similar effort was undertaken, but it didn’t yield long-lasting results. But this time it seems the superintendent of police is brimming with confidence to make the drive a success.

According to sources, the police officials, especially in the traffic wing, will be provided the list of cars with the necessary permission. A vehicle owner using tinted glass without administrative permission would be severely punished, the police stressed.