Delhi number plate cloning has come to light after a Khajuri Khas resident received a traffic notice for a helmet violation allegedly committed by a different vehicle carrying his motorcycle’s registration number. The case has raised concerns about how cloned plates can expose vehicle owners to wrongful challans and complications if the vehicle is later linked to an offence.
Shambhu Kumar Pathak, a resident of Badarpur Khadar Gali Number 12 in Khajuri Khas, received a legal notice from the Delhi Traffic Police under Section 133 of the Motor Vehicles Act. According to the notice, a ₹1,000 challan was issued for riding without a helmet at Khajuri Chowk at 3:49 pm on October 21.
The notice warned that failure to provide details of the driver or pay the challan within 60 days could invite up to six months’ imprisonment or a fine of ₹5,000. Pathak then checked the violation proof attached to the challan on the Delhi Police website.
The photograph did not show his black motorcycle. Instead, it showed a red scooter carrying two people who were allegedly riding without helmets. The scooter displayed a conventional number plate bearing the registration number assigned to Pathak’s motorcycle, which has a high-security registration plate.
The incident illustrates a gap between the identification of a registration number and the verification of the vehicle actually involved in a traffic violation. When enforcement systems rely on a number plate and an image, a cloned or incorrectly displayed plate can initially direct the notice to the legitimate vehicle owner rather than the rider shown in the evidence.
Pathak said he was unsure how to respond after seeing the photograph. He tagged the police on social media and is preparing to submit a formal complaint, according to the report. The case also highlights the burden placed on vehicle owners to monitor challans and contest notices when the vehicle in the evidence does not match their own.
Vehicle owners are advised to check pending challans regularly on the Delhi Traffic Police website and keep their current mobile number updated in the vehicle’s registration certificate records so that they receive alerts. The report also advises owners to blur registration plates before sharing vehicle photographs on social media or online resale platforms.
In cases involving a suspected cloned plate, vehicle owners should download a copy of the challan and the attached photograph, submit a written complaint at the local police station, and record their response with the notice branch within the prescribed period. The report further advises sending the complaint and supporting evidence to the notice branch’s official email address, tinbt-dtp@nic.in, while requesting cancellation of the incorrect challan.
