Srinagar Court Orders Compensation for E-Challan Error, Check Details

March 6 (WD) A magistrate court in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, recently ruled that a traffic policeman must pay Rs 1,000 as compensation for erroneously issuing an e-challan against the wrong vehicle. The court determined that the challan had been wrongfully issued due to the officer’s inadvertence and carelessness.

The owner of the vehicle filed an application with the Special Mobile Magistrate (Traffic) in Srinagar seeking dismissal of the challan. The vehicle owner argued that the challan was intended for another scooty but was erroneously issued against his vehicle for not wearing a helmet, resulting in a fine of Rs 1,000. He stated that the mistake by the traffic department caused him to incur losses and expend time and money unnecessarily.

The officer responsible for the error acknowledged his mistake in issuing the wrong vehicle the challan. Special Mobile Magistrate (Traffic) Mudasar Farooq observed that the applicant was not present at the scene on the day of the incident, rendering the challan defective and leading to its dismissal.

In addition to ordering compensation for the applicant, the court instructed the removal of the defective challan and directed the SSP Traffic of Srinagar City to issue an e-challan against the actual violator.

Furthermore, the court noted concerns regarding the training and diligence of the traffic officials operating the e-challaning system. It directed the SSP to sensitize these officials to prevent similar mistakes in the future, ensuring innocent individuals are not unjustly burdened.