The Central Crime Branch today told the Madras High Court that manufacture and sale of fake 'high security' number plates for vehicles has completely stopped in Chennai and it would take another three months for it to complete the process outside the city.
The police stated this in its status report while acting on an earlier High court order and cracked the whip on manufacturers of fake number plates.
In its report submitted before the first bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M M Sundresh, the Crime Branch submitted that till date four machines, 44 vendors and 1742 counterfeit number plates had been seized by special teams formed by the Additional Commissioner of Police for this purpose.
To a specific question raised by the bench on the action taken against erring officials, Government Pleader S T S Murthy said that about 123 Station House officers are facing the probe in this regard.
The matter relates to a PIL filed by a retired army officer S K Santhosh who alleged that even though the scheme of high security number plates has not been introduced in Tamil Nadu, owners of various vehicles are made to buy such fake number plates.
He contended that despite complaints, police had not initiated any action on the offenders.
In the status report, the Additional Commissioner confirmed that the seized number plates only resembled, but did not match, the original plates, which would become compulsory once the scheme becomes operational.
The bench recorded the submissions and granted three more months time to the authorities to complete investigation in the matter and file a final report.
On the departmental proceedings against the identified officials, the bench said it should be completed in three months and posted the matter to June 26, 2015.
