NEW DELHI: Can unnumbered vehicles ply freely in the capital? The law says no but the Punjab Police appear to think otherwise.
The specific provision in the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 appears to be flouted with impunity by the Punjab Police whenever their top
Officials visit the National Capital the Delhi Police on its part has done nothing to stop this.
Never before has the issue of Unnumbered vehicles come into Such sharp focus as it did on July 1 when two reporters of the statesman were allegedly assaulted by men of Punjab Police chief K P. S. Gill at his Press conference abducted from the conference venue of five-star hotel and finally taken to Parliament Street police station in a white Maruti Gypsy.
Officials of Delhi Police pleaded ignorance about the unnumbered vehicle in which the two reporters were brought to the station. That too despite the fact that the vehicle was parked right in front of the Parliament Street police station for more than an hour.
Police station in charge inspector Ashok Han maintained that he did not see the unnumbered vehicle.
This when a battery of newspersons saw the vehicle parked there and a large number of Delhi Police personnel were virtually breathing down the Gypsy. Asked persistently whether he would take action against owners of such vehicles Ashok Han said he would seize the vehicles even if they belonged to the Punjab Police or any other police force. But vehicles without registration number plates are a common sight in the Punjab Bhavan and the R Kapurthala House whenever a VVIP comes here from Punjab. According to a security source the Punjab policemen do so because of security reasons.
Prominent Supreme Court advocate Dr. B. L. Wadehra asserts that displaying of number plates or identification symbols were mandatory. Under the law Dr. Wadehra points out that even the President and State governors who are exempted from displaying vehicle number plates do display the national emblem the Ashok Chakra as an identity mark for the vehicle.
Dr. Wadehra -a widely respected figure in Punjab because of his tireless work for protection of human rights particularly those alleged to be harassed by Punjab Police categorically states that it was nothing now for Punjab Police to travel in unnumbered vehicles. They (Punjab Police) have been doing it for years to conceal their identity when doing unlawful acts he adds. According to Dr. Wadehra the Oral argument that vehicles arc driven without their registration numbers for security reasons is a canard. He says that in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh terrorists and dacoits had struck in police uniform while travelling in unnumbered Vehicles.
Even the Army makes no attempts to hide the number plates of its vehicles. The reason So that people know which vehicle came to their area in case they have a complaint to lodge against the occupants
Article extracted from this publication >> July 8, 1994
