Contempt Proceedings Against Transport Commissioner Closed After Compliance Report: J&K High Court

The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh recently closed contempt proceedings against Transport Commissioner Hirdesh Kumar after a report was submitted showing compliance with the directions issued by the High Court last year. 

The contempt petition was filed by one Zahoor Ahmad Bhat against transport commissioner J&K Hirdesh Kumar and other authorities concerned for their non-compliance with a judgment passed by the bench of Justices Ali Mohammad Magrey and Vinod Chatterji Koul on April 29, 2021, regarding re-registration of vehicles from outside Jammu and Kashmir, in Jammu and Kashmir.

The bench of Chief Justice N Kotiswar Singh and Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi said that the contempt petition had become infructuous after the compliance report was submitted. The Court had given the following directions in the 2021 judgment:

• Firstly, that a vehicle once registered in any state of India, shall not be required to be registered elsewhere in India. 
• Secondly, however, a motor vehicle registered in one state and, if kept for a period exceeding 12 months in another state, shall apply to the Registering Authority of the new state for the assignment of the new registration mark. 
• Lastly, where the lifetime tax has been levied and paid on a motor vehicle at the point of the registration of a vehicle, no further tax can be levied and demanded on the said vehicle, on it being removed from one state to another.

Once the concerned authorities informed the Court that the directions have been complied with, the Court closed the contempt proceedings. This decision by the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh ensures that the directions issued by the Court are followed and that justice is served.