Zirakpur realtor switches car’s number to avoid bank seizure, caught by real owner
The realtor had been driving around in his silver Tata Zest with the number of a similar white car; the latter’s owner was alerted after he started receiving challans for violations at spots that he never visited
A 30-year-old property dealer, who was avoiding the seizure of his car bought on loan by switching its number plate, is now cooling his heels behind the bars, after the real owner of the registration number caught him.
Unable to pay the instalments of his Tata Zest car after the death of his father, Balbir Singh, a resident of Maya Garden, Zirakpur, a month ago decided to change its number plate to dodge the bank.
To execute his plan, he conducted a recce in Chandigarh and found a car of the same make and copied its registration number on his car, and also managed to get a FASTag for it, said Deepinder Singh, station house officer (SHO), Zirakpur.
To the utter bewilderment of the actual owner of the number, who is also named Balbir Singh, mysterious challans for traffic violations by his car suddenly started pouring in.
A resident of Sector 41-A, Chandigarh, Balbir approached the police with suspicions of the registration number of his white Tata Zest being used by someone else.
In his complaint, Balbir said he was receiving traffic challans for jumping the red light at a spot that he had never crossed and he had also received toll deduction message on a night when his car was parked at home.
When he went to the Chandigarh Traffic Lines to pay the challan, he found it was issued for a silver Tata Zest, while his vehicle was white.
While awaiting action on his complaint, on Wednesday, Balbir was at Shivalik Vihar, Kharar, where, much to his amazement, he spotted a silver Tata Zest with the number plate of his vehicle. A chase ensued and he managed to intercept the vehicle with the help of his friend.
Police responded to the scene and detained all four occupants of the silver car, which was impounded. After questioning, police arrested the accused and let off the other three persons.
The accused is now facing a case under Section 473 (making or possessing counterfeit seal, etc., with intent to commit forgery punishable otherwise) of the Indian Penal Code, which entails jail term up to seven years with fine. He will be produced before the court on Thursday.
