Masab Tank businessman fakes number plate, lawful owner wrongly issued challans
Police said the accused used the fake plate on his Honda Activa to avoid detection and shift liability for traffic violations onto another vehicle owner.
By - Newsmeter Network
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Hyderabad: A 46-year-old businessman was arrested for allegedly replacing his scooter’s original registration number with a fake plate to evade enforcement and mislead authorities.
The Hyderabad City Traffic Police found the fake number plate usage after the legitimate owner complained about wrongful traffic challans being issued against his vehicle.
Accused intended to shift traffic violations to legitimate owner
The accused, identified as Arif Khan (46), a businessman residing at Ahmed Nagar, 1st Lancer, Masab Tank, was apprehended by the Langar House Police.
According to officials, he had replaced his vehicle’s original registration number (TS13FA0954) with a fake number plate bearing TS13EX3358.
Police said the accused used the fake plate on his Honda Activa to avoid detection and shift liability for traffic violations onto another vehicle owner.
Complaint over illegal traffic challans brought crime to light
The case came to light after Shaik Imran, the legitimate owner of a Honda Activa bearing registration number TS13EX3358, approached the Hyderabad Traffic Police with a grievance.
He reported that multiple traffic challans were being generated against his vehicle despite not committing any violations.
Upon verification through surveillance systems and physical inspection, traffic officials found that the accused had misused Imran’s vehicle registration number by affixing it to his own scooter.
12 wrongful challans generated
Due to the use of the fake number plate, as many as 12 traffic challans were wrongly issued against the complainant’s vehicle.
Following the findings, Langar House Police registered a case under Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 158 read with 177 of the Motor Vehicles Act. Further investigation is underway.
Police warning against tampered number plates
In a statement, Hyderabad Traffic Police cautioned the public that using fake or tampered number plates is a serious and punishable offence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Motor Vehicles Act.
Officials said the department is equipped with advanced technological systems, including CCTV surveillance and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, to detect such violations and track vehicle movements effectively.
Public asked to report misuse
Citizens have been urged to report suspected misuse of vehicle registration numbers through the official e-Challan website, via email at echallanhelpdesk.hyd@gmail.com
D Joel Davis, IPS, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Hyderabad City, said strict action will be taken against offenders indulging in such fraudulent practices.
