Rajinder Verma, a resident of Ambala and general secretary of the Haryana Swarnkar Sangh, had filed a contempt petition in the High Court, alleging that the DRM was using a red light and a black flag on his two official cars, which was also reported by a Hindi daily.

Justice T P S Mann of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today pronounced the order. A Division Bench headed by Justice Swatananter Kumar had earlier, in a judgment dated July 9, 1998, issued wide-ranging directions to the states of Punjab and Haryana and the Chandigarh Administration in the case ‘Namit Kumar vs UT Chandigarh’.

The bench had directed: “No vehicle, particularly private cars or of the government shall be permitted to carry red/blue lights on the roof or bonnet, except cars which are duly notified by the state for that purpose. The traffic police shall ensure strict adherence to this condition and all private cars shall remove such lights forthwith.”

Giving teeth to the judgment, the bench had further observed: “All directions issued by virtue of the interim orders as afore-stated, immediate, short-term and long-term directions issued by the court shall be strictly adhered to by all concerned. Any violation thereof, by any authority shall entail serious proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.”