The Supreme Court on Wednesday recalled its March 27 order by which it had allowed the sale of BS-IV vehicles for 10 days across the country, except in Delhi-NCR, after the lifting of the Covid-19 induced lockdown.

The apex court said automobile dealers violated its directives and BS-IV vehicles were sold during the lockdown in the last week of March and after March 31 also.

“Do not take advantage of this court by playing fraud,” a bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra, S. A. Nazeer and Indira Banerjee said while hearing the matter through video-conferencing.

The top court had on March 27 said it was permitting the sale of 10 per cent of unsold BS-IV vehicles to make up for the six days lost due to the nationwide lockdown imposed by the government on March 25.

The apex court on Wednesday said that Bharat Stage (BS)-IV vehicles sold after March 31 this year will not be presently registered.

The bench observed that the sale of BS-IV vehicles had increased in the last week of March, when the nationwide lockdown was in force, and they were sold online also.
Senior advocate Aparajita Singh, who is assisting the top court as an amicus curiae in the matter, said the court has recalled its March 27 order.

During the hearing, the bench observed that the automobile dealers association have not followed its earlier order and they have violated the apex court’s directives.
It said that BS-IV vehicles were sold after March 31 also despite the fact that an order was passed way back in 2018.

The association’s counsel referred to an earlier order and argued that court had said if BS-IV vehicle is sold before March 31, then registration would be done. To this, the bench asked how dealers have sold these vehicles during the lockdown period in March.