PUNE: The Wakad police on Thursday arrested Vijay Bhagwan Dagade, 44, a resident of Tathawade, for allegedly using a button-operated mechanism to conceal his vehicle’s registration number. He was later granted bail by the court.
Dagade was arrested after a video showing a mechanical flap concealing his Fortuner’s rear registration plate while travelling on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway went viral on social media. A case was registered regarding this incident on Wednesday.
The FIR, registered under sections 336(3), 318(4) and 319(2) of the BNS, read with Section 198 of the Motor Vehicles Act, states that the SUV was allegedly modified to conceal its registration number while being driven. Investigators said the mechanism could make the number plate disappear from view, potentially allowing the vehicle to evade identification and traffic enforcement.
The Regional Transport Office (RTO) subsequently inspected the vehicle and removed the number-plate concealing mechanism.
Police told the court that further investigation was required to establish where and how the mechanism was fabricated, who was involved in making or installing it, the circumstances of the vehicle’s modification, and whether the vehicle was used in connection with any other offence.
Defence counsel Vijaysinh Thombare argued that Dagade had no previous criminal record and submitted that he was ready to abide by any bail conditions.
{{/usCountry}}Defence counsel Vijaysinh Thombare argued that Dagade had no previous criminal record and submitted that he was ready to abide by any bail conditions.
{{/usCountry}}After hearing both sides, Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Dipti D. Patil held that Dagade’s physical custody was not required for the remaining investigation because the vehicle allegedly used in the offence had already been seized.
The court observed that “no purpose would be served by keeping the accused behind bars” and granted him bail on a personal bond of ₹25,000 and a surety of the same amount.