Srinagar: The Court of Special Mobile Magistrate (Traffic), Srinagar, has directed the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Traffic Rural Kashmir to physically inspect the official vehicle of Sopore Tehsildar Tariq Ahmad Sheikh and seize any unauthorised red beacon or multi-toned siren found on it.
Magistrate Shabir Ahmad Malik also summoned the revenue officer to appear on September 10 and explain why proceedings under the Motor Vehicles Act should not be initiated against him.
The order comes amid an ongoing work boycott by the Sopore Bar Association over alleged misconduct by the tehsildar. Judicial work in all courts in the north Kashmir subdivision has remained paralysed since August 19 following the Bar Association’s indefinite strike.
The Srinagar court was approached by Muzaffar Ahmad through advocates Sajad Mohi-ud-din and Haroon Rashid. The application alleged that a red warning light and multi-toned siren had been unauthorisedly installed on the tehsildar’s official vehicle, in violation of Rules 108 and 119 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, as amended in 2017, and SRO 55 of 2014 applicable to Jammu and Kashmir.
The applicant submitted screenshots and a social media video, reportedly viewed more than 1.7 lakh times, showing the tehsildar giving a roadside media interview from his official vehicle, with a red beacon visible on its roof.
The court referred to the Supreme Court’s 2014 judgment in Abhay Singh v. State of Uttar Pradesh, which criticised unrestricted use of beacon lights for promoting a VIP culture. It noted that the 2017 central notification removed exemptions for “high dignitaries”, meaning revenue officials have no statutory entitlement to use red or blue beacons unless specifically authorised under applicable emergency categories.
“Having perused the application, the annexed screenshots, and the material placed on record, this Court is of the considered view that a prima facie case is made out warranting inquiry into the factual position,” the magistrate observed.
The SSP Traffic Rural Kashmir has been directed to verify whether the vehicle has a valid statutory authorisation for the equipment. If an unauthorised beacon or siren is found, it must be removed or seized and action initiated under the Motor Vehicles Act, Central Motor Vehicles Rules, SRO 55 of 2014 and the Supreme Court judgment. A compliance report, along with photographs, is to be submitted within two weeks.
The development comes as the tehsildar faces a separate complaint before the Court of District Mobile Magistrate (Traffic), Sopore. The complaint, filed by Bar Association Sopore president Faisal Jan Anim and advocate Mohammad Waseem, relates to an alleged incident on August 19.
The complaint invokes Sections 126, 131, 351 and 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, concerning allegations of wrongful restraint, assault, criminal intimidation and defamation. The tehsildar is accused of stopping young advocates at the gate and allegedly using derogatory language, including calling them “dalal vakeel” (broker lawyers), when they appeared to represent clients in a civil property dispute.
The Sopore court on August 20 issued a pre-cognisance notice to the tehsildar for August 31 and sought a factual report from the Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla.
Meanwhile, the Sopore Bar Association has continued its work boycott for a second week, citing a lack of administrative action.
“We are not receiving any positive response or engagement from the civil administration with respect to the matter. What we are doing legally before the courts is an entirely different course of action, but administrative action has to be initiated by the administration itself. As long as there is no concrete administrative accountability, our work boycott will continue,” Anim said.
The Srinagar Traffic Court will take up the compliance report on September 10, while the Sopore court is scheduled to hear the pre-cognisance matter on August 31, leaving the tehsildar facing scrutiny on both judicial and administrative fronts.
