DRIVE TARGETS VEHICLES WITH MISSING OR DISTORTED NUMBER PLATES TO CRACK DOWN ON CRIME, SAYS SPL DGP PRAVEEN SINHA*
Chandigarh: In a massive crackdown on anti-social elements and traffic violators, Punjab Police has carried out a 10-day long special two-wheeler checking drive, resulting in the inspection of over 74,000 vehicles across the state.
The drive, carried out on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav, maintained a sharp focus on motorcycles and scooters operating without number plates or with distorted plates. This specific targeting aims to curb the use of unidentified vehicles in criminal activities.
Special DGP Law and Order Praveen Sinha, while sharing the details of the operation, highlighted that most crimes involve the use of such motorcycles to evade identification. “By sanitising our roads of vehicles with hidden or tampered identities, we are effectively plugging a major loophole used by criminals,” he said.
Divulging the figures of the 10-day operation, the Special DGP said that police teams checked a total of 74,776 two-wheelers, of which, 20,982 violators were issued challans, while 461 were impounded for various offences, primarily related to missing or distorted number plates, found without valid documentation or being used suspiciously.
Special DGP Praveen Sinha, who was personally monitoring the state-level drive, had directed all CPs/SSPs to deploy adequate checkpoints in their respective jurisdictions. Police personnel were instructed to conduct the checking professionally while ensuring that law-abiding citizens were not harassed.
The Special DGP urged the public to strictly adhere to the Motor Vehicle Act and ensure their vehicles are fitted with High-Security Registration Plates (HSRP).
Meanwhile, the ‘Gangstran te Vaar’ campaign continued on Day 114 with Police teams arresting 292 individuals with six weapons, taking the total arrests to 29,111 since the launch of the campaign. Apart from this, preventive action has been taken against 116 persons, whereas, 41 persons were verified and released after questioning. Police teams have also arrested 14 proclaimed offenders (POs) during the operation.
