Caught Between Law And Road: Challan Dilemma in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: A month after the Telangana High Court directed the police to refrain from coercive measures in collecting pending challans, motorists in Hyderabad continue to face uneasy encounters on the road. Specific incidents have raised questions about how faithfully the order is being implemented.

On January 21, the High Court ordered that police must not force motorists to pay challans by stopping them on the road, snatching keys, or taking coercive steps. Instead, authorities were instructed to follow due process — issuing notices and initiating prosecution before a competent court. The ruling was meant to offer relief to city residents long frustrated by aggressive enforcement. Yet, legal experts point out that grey areas remain in how the order is interpreted.

Recently, a video of a ride-hailing app driver being stopped near Madhapur went viral. Though the rider was not stopped for pending challans, he was reportedly manhandled and had his vehicle keys snatched. Other road-users have also described being stopped for routine checks, blurring the line between permissible enforcement and coercion.

High Court advocate Y. Vasudeva Tadiboina explained: “Paying a challan or not is a decision the motorist takes. But the police can still stop vehicles under the pretext of regular vehicle checking, in case of violations like a vehicle not having a number plate or valid certificates when asked for.”

He adds, “Unpaid e-challans are not valid grounds for vehicle seizure under Section 207 of the Motor Vehicles Act. Seizure can generally be done in the event of specific offences such as driving without a valid RC or permit.”

Another legal expert, who did not wish to be named, notes that many motorists cannot complain against aggressive behaviour during checks because they lack valid documents — a loophole, he says, that enforcement often exploits.

When asked, a senior official from the Hyderabad traffic wing maintained that the department is adhering to the court’s directive. “We have briefed all our field staff about the HC order and all the checks carried out now by our staff are permissible by law. We are not stopping vehicles under the pretext of payment of pending challan but for other violations,” he said.