E-Paper
Dhanas accident: Beetle chassis, engine number correct on RC, but model listed as Polo
Earlier, during investigation, Chandigarh Police had established that the Beetle number (PB23-J-0001) also belonged to a Volkswagen Polo car
The police probe into the May 17 accident involving a Volkswagen Beetle car has revealed that though the registration certificate (RC) of the car has the original engine and chassis number, the vehicle model is listed as Volkswagen Polo.
Earlier, during investigation, UT police had established that the Beetle number (PB23-J-0001) also belonged to a Volkswagen Polo car. Owned by Kamaljit Singh, father of the accused driver Paramvir Singh, 19, the car was registered in Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab.
Police had then initiated a probe to check if the car owner, who is also one of the directors of a Zirakpur mall, got the number transferred or used it fraudulently on the Beetle. Police had said if the number was forged, Kamaljit will be booked for forgery.
According to the sources, Chandigarh Police have now summoned documents from Regional Transport Authority (RTA), Fatehgarh Sahib, to check if the car’s registration number is fake or original.
“Prima facie, it seems to be a clerical mistake. We usually identify or check a four-wheeler with its chassis number and engine number. The RC of the car in question has the original engine and chassis number, but the model name is Volkswagen Polo. The car owner earlier had a Polo car and it seems that the staff concerned at RTA, Fatehgarh Sahib, mistakenly mentioned Polo instead of Beetle on the RC. We are verifying the facts before taking any legal action,” said a senior police official, privy to the probe.
UT police have asked the Fatehgarh Sahib RTA to submit a report to clear the air on the issue.
“Following the procedure, we have asked the RTA authorities in Fatehgarh Sahib to give us a report after investigating the matter. We will only decide our further action after receiving their report,” said Kanwardeep Kaur, senior superintendent of police (SSP), Chandigarh.
On May 17, the teenager’s red Beetle (PB23-J-0001) had first rammed into a motorcycle before hitting six people present on the roadside in Dhanas, claiming the lives of Rajwanti, 52, Mustafa Ansari, 23, and Vimlesh, 50.
The car driver, Paramvir, was arrested on May 20 after remaining on the run for three days. He is currently in judicial custody.
A special investigation team (SIT) was constituted on May 22 to probe the facts surrounding the accident. The five-member SIT includes DSP (Central) Gurmukh Singh, Sarangpur station house officer and three other cops.
A girl was accompanying Paramvir in the car at the time of the accident. Identified as Raman, she is also a shooting player like Paramvir and competes in the 10 m air pistol category. They both had escaped the spot amid hue and cry following the mishap.
