SC fines Haryana for not implementing high security number plates

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the Haryana government for disobeying its direction for implementation of high security registration plates (HSRP) for motor vehicles meant to prevent stolen vehicles being used for committing crimes.
A bench of Chief Justice S H Kapadia and Justices K S Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar introduced a new element into the contempt of court jurisprudence and said inertia of top government officials in implementing its order amounted to disobedience.
"Any inordinate delay to obey its directions comes under the purview of the contempt of the court," the bench said.
It held the secretary and the commissioner of the Haryana transport department guilty of contempt of court for the failure to implement the SC order on issuance and fixation of high security registration plates on vehicles.
Imposing an exemplary cost of Rs 50,000 on the Haryana government, the court asked it to recover the amount from the salaries of the officials responsible for the inordinate delay in implementation of its order.
"Inaction or even dormant behaviour by the officers in highest echelons in the hierarchy of the government in complying with the directions/orders of this court (SC) certainly amounts to disobedience. Inordinate delay of years in complying with the orders of the court or in complying with the directed stipulations within the prescribed time, has been viewed by this court seriously and held to be the contempt of court, as it undermines the dignity of the court," said Justice Kumar, who authored the judgment.
The court said, "Every person is required to respect and obey the orders of the court with due dignity for the institution. The government departments are no exception to it."
"In cases where no positive/active role is directly attributable to a person, still, his passive and dormant attitude of inaction may result in violation of the orders of the court and may render him liable for an action of contempt," the court said.