Panipat. During a routine traffic verification on Hathwala Road, police identified two white Maruti cars that were being passed off as official government vehicles. The subsequent investigation resulted in a father‑son team being charged for attaching forged plates and government‑style markings.

Anonymous tip prompts focused inspection

Traffic Zone In‑charge Satish Kumar explained that officers were sweeping the area near the Hathwala Road bridge on October 4 when they received a tip about a vehicle cruising the city with a government‑type registration. The squad moved to a lane behind the SFC Hotel and spotted a white Maruti Ertiga displaying the words Government of India in red on its rear.

Nearby, a second white Maruti Ciaz was parked, its boot bearing similar wording – “Government of India” and “PBSM Ministry”. Both automobiles carried number plates that mimicked official identification.

Numbers don’t match official records

When the registration numbers were entered into the challan system, no matching entries were found. At that point, Rajbir arrived, claimed ownership of both cars, but could not produce the registration certificates on the spot.

Police then cross‑checked the chassis numbers. The verification revealed that the Ertiga was registered to Rahul, a resident of Krishna Colony, while the Ciaz was registered in Rajbir’s name.

Evidence of tampering

Both vehicles were fitted with sirens, and the altered plates along with the government‑style decals were clearly intended to convey an official status. Officers observed that Rahul had removed the Ertiga’s genuine plate and replaced it with a fabricated one, and Rajbir had done the same with his Ciaz.

A case has been filed against the father‑son duo, and the two Maruti cars have been seized. The probe continues to ascertain how the counterfeit plates and markings were procured and whether any further misuse took place.