Supreme Court directs seizure of vehicles and licence curbs to recover unpaid e-challan fines

Key facts

• The Supreme Court, in its September 28 order in the road-safety case 'S Rajasekaran vs Union of India', directed states and Union Territories to recover unpaid e-challans by seizing vehicles and blocking registration, fitness, PUC and ownership-transfer services until fines are cleared.
• Approximately ₹49,194.05 crore remained recoverable towards e-challans issued across the country, of which ₹26,175.05 crore had been recovered.
• Authorities must refuse renewal or issuance of duplicate registration certificates and address-change requests until dues are cleared, withhold fitness certificates, blacklist vehicles on the Parivahan portal, and conduct random checks to impound non-compliant vehicles.
• For multiple violations, the Supreme Court ordered suspension of driving licence renewal and measures to suspend licences currently in force.
• The Court directed that electronic enforcement systems be AI-enabled to identify the 12 categories of violations specified under Rule 167A(3) of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, and ordered integration of VAHAN-4, SARATHI, e-Challan, e-DAR, iRAD and traffic control rooms into the National Road Safety System.
• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) must create a public online dashboard, updated at least monthly, tracking implementation of Section 136A of the Motor Vehicles Act read with Rule 167A of the CMVR and the October 28, 2025 SOP, with annual data included in the 'Road Accidents in India' report.