This red beacon is no status symbol: SC

The Supreme Court on Tuesday held that red beacon be allowed to be used only by persons holding constitutional posts and high dignitaries to prevent its misuse by local politicians flaunting it as a status symbol. 

A bench headed by Justice G S Singhvi asked the Centre to issue a fresh list of people eligible for using red beacon on their vehicles and asked the Government to amend the rule within three months.

The bench also said the state governments cannot enlarge the list of VIPs eligible for red beacon.

The court passed the order on a PIL filed by Uttar Pradesh resident Abhay Singh on misuse of red beacon.

Earlier, the bench had said that misuse of red beacon and siren, granted by government to VIPs, was a menace to society and it must be stopped.

It had said the red light has become a status symbol and that police personnel, who are put on duty for giving security cover to VIPs, should be deployed for better purposes like making the roads safe for women.