JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir Police, along with the Traffic Police, have launched a major crackdown on “number plate masking”, seizing and fining 158 vehicles in the past 10 days for concealing, altering or improperly displaying registration plates.
Officials said the practice has emerged as a growing challenge on Jammu city roads, with motorists allegedly attempting to evade CCTV-based enforcement and e-challans by obscuring vehicle registration numbers.
“Number plate masking” includes covering plates with plastic or adhesive tape, blocking them with helmets or legs, blackening digits, deliberately splashing dirt or paint, or using items such as polythene and decorative accessories to hide registration details.
Official sources said the special drive has focused on vehicles with concealed plates, vehicles being driven without number plates and those not displaying registration plates in accordance with Motor Vehicles Act guidelines.
Besides the action against number plate masking, officials said 165 vehicles were seized for over-speeding, 59 motorists were booked for using mobile phones while driving, while 3,057 vehicles were fined or seized for wrong parking during the enforcement drive.
Another 18 vehicles were booked for noise pollution, six for unauthorised alterations and four for dangerous driving.
SSP Traffic Jammu Amit Bhasin said number plate masking was illegal and had become a new enforcement challenge.
“In most cases, we have found that the violation is done to dodge CCTV cameras installed at traffic signals and escape e-challans,” he said.
Bhasin said the offence can attract a penalty of up to ₹5,000 under Section 192(1) of the Motor Vehicles Act. In cases involving false registration plates or deliberate deletion of digits or letters, vehicles can also be seized and criminal cases registered.
He said masking may be permitted in exceptional circumstances involving vehicles on official or security duties, including election deployment, rallies and movement of security personnel, where concealment may be required for safety reasons.
Police officials, however, said the practice was not merely a traffic violation and could also pose a broader security concern.
Senior officers said altered or concealed number plates could potentially be used by drug smugglers, thieves, snatchers and other criminals to avoid identification.
Station House Officers across the Jammu region have also been directed to take strict action against such violations, with special drives being conducted in different jurisdictions.
Police said even parked two-wheelers found with deliberately concealed registration plates were being fined or seized.
A senior officer said regular traffic violators were increasingly manipulating number plates to avoid e-challans, prompting authorities to initiate stringent action.
Officials stressed that vehicle identification assumes particular importance in a sensitive region like Jammu and Kashmir, where masked registration details could be exploited for criminal or security-related activities.
Police said FIRs were being registered in serious cases and vehicles seized rather than allowing offenders to escape with fines alone.
Authorities have also begun awareness campaigns alongside enforcement drives, urging motorists to ensure that registration plates remain clearly visible and comply with prescribed norms.
