Chennai: A plea has been made in the Madras high court to direct the authorities to register the BS-III vehicles, which were purchased before the Supreme Court mandated deadline of March 31. Justice K. Ravichandra Baabu before whom the petition filed by N.Shanthi of Katpadi in Vellore district, came up for hearing, ordered notice to the transport department and Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Ltd.
According to petitioner, she and similarly placed several thousand persons had purchased the BS-III vehicles and taken insurance as well before the March 31 deadline. Though the transport department authorities were bound to register the same, as the Supreme Court’s ban order would take effect only from April 1, they declined to register them. She bought a car for '6.11 lakh and the entire amount was paid through bank transaction. She had taken insurance also. However, the authorities failed to appreciate that she paid the insurance amount to Cholamandalam Insurance on March 31. They ought to have appreciated that the contract was completed between her and the seller on payment of sale consideration by her. Once the insurance amount was paid to the authorised insurer under section 20 of the Sale of Goods Act and property delivered to the petitioner, the sale was complete, she contended.
Her counsel V.Viswanathan submitted that the high court in Kerala had ruled that registration authorities must register vehicles having invoice and certificate of insurance issued by authorised insurer on or before March 31. In Odisha, the government had directed all regional transport officers to register the vehicles if the owners were able to produce documents showing that the vehicle was purchased on or before March 31, he added.
