3 booked for altering, masking number plates in Bengaluru
A senior officer said with increased surveillance including AI-equipped cameras, some motorists have adopted deceptive practices.
Bengaluru traffic police on Wednesday have booked three people on charges of cheating and manipulation in making of vehicle registration numbers, said MN Anucheth, joint commissioner of police (traffic). The new enforcement comes in response to the increasing instances of motorists attempting to evade the enforcement cameras by manipulating vehicle number plates.
“Apart from the fines under Motor Vehicles Act, we have booked them under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code for cheating,” said Anucheth. 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. “Most violators are now booked on the basis of enforcement cameras in the city and limited physical challans are issued. In order to avoid getting captured on the cameras, people are manipulating number plates, forcing us to book them for cheating,” he added.
Recently, Mahadevapura traffic police arrested a construction labourer for riding with a masked registration number plate. Similarly, earlier this week KS Layout traffic police apprehended a 20-year-old petrol pump station attendant involved in a road rage incident, officers familiar with the matter said.
The suspect had altered one digit of his registration number plate, prompting authorities to track him using ground investigation. The individual faced multiple charges, including traffic violations, cheating, and riding in a reckless and negligent manner, resulting in substantial fines and legal penalties totalling ₹19,500.
A senior police officer said that with increased surveillance including cameras equipped with artificial intelligence, some motorists have adopted deceptive practices, including the use of counterfeit number plates. “Traffic police have launch a special drive aimed at identifying and penalising individuals engaged in such fraudulent activities, particularly after we have witnessed several cases where wrong vehicles were booked due to manipulated number plates,” said an officer, seeking anonymity.
“Apart from fake numbers, some have resorted to masking their number plates, splashing dirt to obscure visibility, or using tape, plastic covers, or helmets to obstruct the identification of number plates by the enforcement cameras,” the officer said while explaining the modus operandi witnessed during the probe.
Anucheth said that the special drive, specifically targeting the manipulation of number plates, will intensify in the coming months.