Bengaluru traffic police to file cheating case for masking vehicle number plate

Recently, K.S. Layout traffic police tracked down a 20-year-old petrol pump station attendant who was involved in a road rage incident. He had masked one number out of the four digits on his registration number plate. Later, police found out that he was involved in 39 traffic violations.

With motorists finding new ways to hoodwink the police, who are taking the aid of technology to enforce the laws, the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) have announced a special drive against manipulation of number plates.

In July 2022, police began to install AI-based enforcement cameras across Bengaluru to keep a watch on traffic violators and book them under the appropriate sections of the law.

With surveillance cameras at every corner, errant motorists started using fake number plates to avoid getting caught. Initially, the police were caught off-guard. After a number of incidents of booking wrong vehicles surfaced, the traffic police started a special drive to flag such motorists and slap criminal cases against them.

However, unruly motorists began masking the number plate or deliberately splashing dirt on the number plate to hoodwink the enforcement cameras and make it difficult to record the registration number. Many put tape on a section of the number plate, or blacken a few numbers, or cover the plate with plastic, or block it with the helmet or a leg.

Traffic expert M.N. Srihari said that such reckless acts are meant to portray the lack of fear of law enforcement agencies. “Due to their rash and negligent behaviour, such bikers not only contribute to the growing number of road accidents, but also encourage anti-social activities,” he said.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M.N. Anucheth said that the police are aware of such unlawful activities. They have launched a special drive against manipulation of number plates. “Violators will not only be booked under the Motor Vehicles Act, but also for cheating,” he said.

Recently, K.S. Layout traffic police tracked down a 20-year-old petrol pump station attendant who was involved in a road rage incident. He had masked one number out of the four digits on his registration number plate. The police, who had the video of the incident, tried different numbers to track down his address. The accused was involved in 39 traffic violations, a majority of which was for riding without a helmet. The accused was not only booked and slapped with a fine of ₹19,500, but also booked for cheating and riding in a rash and negligent manner to endanger human life.