The Delhi Police has registered a case after a vehicle bearing the ‘Punjab Government’ label was found carrying cash, liquor and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) pamphlets. According to the police, the car was found parked outside Copernicus Marg, Punjab Bhawan. During the search, Rs 8 lakh in cash, liquor bottles bearing Punjab’s seal and AAP pamphlets were recovered from it.
The incident happened when the model code of conduct is in force in Delhi due to the assembly elections, under which carrying more than Rs 50,000 in cash is prohibited. The case has been registered at the Tilak Marg police station. Interestingly, the vehicle was registered in the name of ‘Major Anubhav Shivpuri’, who is said to be a resident of Khadki in Maharashtra and was posted at the Army Dental College in Pathankot three years ago.
However, the Punjab government has issued a statement rejecting the claim that the registration plate on the vehicle is not genuine. According to them, a 2018 model Ford Eco Sport is registered under the registration number PB35AE1342, while the vehicle caught by the police is a Hyundai Creta. The government has indicated that this number plate is fake as it is not a High-Security Registration Plate (HSRP).
The government has also clarified that no such vehicle is either owned or rented by the Punjab government. According to them, the vehicle caught does not belong to the Punjab government. This incident points to forgery of the vehicle’s number plate, which has been considered a matter of investigation.