Two held for selling forged parking stickers of Delhi Assembly

Several ID cards for MLAs, Vidhan Sabha parking stickers, a forged stamp marked “DVS” (Delhi Vidhan Sabha) and two WagonR cars were recovered. One of the cars was stolen from east Delhi’s Bhajanpura area

The police neutralised a security threat at the Delhi Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) on Friday and arrested two men who allegedly sold identity cards and parking stickers to the public.

New Delhi: The Delhi Vidhan Sabha (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

The arrested persons are a 40-year-old man, who claimed to be a journalist and former editor-in-chief of a weekly newspaper, and the private driver of former deputy secretary of Delhi Vidhan Sabha, said police.

Several ID cards for MLAs, Vidhan Sabha parking stickers, a forged stamp marked “DVS” (Delhi Vidhan Sabha) and two WagonR cars were recovered. One of the cars was stolen from east Delhi’s Bhajanpura area.

The arrested persons have been identified as Vinod Bansal, who was posing as a news channel reporter, and Jitender, 32. They were allegedly charging between `10,000 and `15,000 for each parking sticker, said police. Bansal used the sticker to enter the Assembly premises.

The police are now looking for a Delhi Vidhan Sabha employee, a man from Nepal, who was allegedly providing such parking passes/stickers and ID cards to Jitender for a hefty commission.

Investigators are also questioning the former deputy secretary to ascertain his role in the illegal business.

Ravindra Yadav, joint commissioner of police (crime), said the arrests were made after sub-inspector Vipin Yadav received a tip-off.

A decoy was sent to strike a deal with the racketeers and a trap was laid at a restaurant where the deal was to be finalised.

“Our decoy and a head constable met Vinod Bansal at the restaurant. The decoy paid Bansal `10,000, who handed them a forged ID card and parking pass/sticker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly. The raiding team then caught Bansal,” said Yadav.

Police recovered the forged stamp from Bansal’s residence. A car with a forged parking sticker affixed to it was also recovered, said the joint CP.

“During interrogation, Bansal revealed he procured the stickers and ID cards from Jitender. We then arrested Jitender and recovered similar forged stickers from him,” Yadav said.

Yadav said Bansal would stamp and sign the ID cards and stickers himself. He said he procured these from former deputy secretary Lalmani. And after his transfer, Bansal began purchasing these from Lalmani’s driver, Jitender.

“Jitender procured them from Delhi legislative assembly employee Khatri, who is absconding,” said Yadav.