Authorities in Hyderabad are facing mounting criticism after reports revealed that several vehicle accessory shops across the city are manufacturing and selling registration number plates without verifying the identity of buyers or confirming vehicle ownership. The practice has raised serious concerns among law enforcement agencies, who warn that such unchecked sales could facilitate criminal activities and compromise public safety.
An investigation found that many shops were willing to produce standard or high-security-looking number plates based solely on a customer’s verbal request or a registration number, without asking for vehicle registration certificates, identity proof, or any official authorization. Transport experts say this violates established norms intended to ensure that vehicle registration plates are issued only to legitimate owners.
Police officials warned that fake or duplicate number plates can be misused in crimes such as theft, robbery, hit-and-run incidents, and traffic violations. Criminals often clone registration numbers from genuine vehicles, making it difficult for investigators to identify offenders. In several recent cases, innocent vehicle owners received traffic e-challans for violations committed by vehicles using cloned number plates.
The issue has gained attention following a series of recent enforcement actions by Hyderabad Traffic Police. Over the past few weeks, police have registered multiple cases involving fake, tampered, or duplicated registration plates and arrested several individuals accused of using cloned number plates to evade traffic fines, mislead authorities, or conceal vehicle identities.
Road safety experts have called for stricter monitoring of number plate manufacturers and dealers. They have urged the Transport Department to mandate digital verification of vehicle ownership before number plates are produced and to conduct regular inspections of businesses engaged in manufacturing registration plates. Officials also emphasized the importance of using only High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) supplied through authorized channels.
Law enforcement agencies have assured the public that enforcement drives against unauthorized number plates will continue across Hyderabad. Vehicle owners are advised to ensure their vehicles carry only legally issued registration plates and to report any suspicious traffic challans or suspected misuse of their registration numbers to the nearest police station or traffic enforcement office immediately.