Criminals are fooling police with diplomatic car number plates

They would enter the city in cars bearing incomplete diplomatic number plates, like the one used by those killed in the April 26 encounter on Noida Expressway

Inter-state gangsters have found a unique way of entering Delhi.
They would enter the city in cars bearing incomplete diplomatic number plates, like the one used by those killed in the April 26 encounter on Noida Expressway.

One of the cars, of a Chinese make, had a diplomatic number plate (17 CD/AF) which was traced to the Chinese Embassy.

Investigations into the case have revealed that the Embassy sold the car in an auction in January this year to a man named Atul. When the police tried to locate Atul, it found that he had furnished a fake address.
The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force that conducted the encounter evaded queries by MiD DAY, saying the probe is being handled by the Noida Police.

Despite a clear instruction by the Ministry of External Affairs that all diplomatic vehicles with incomplete or Applied For (A/F) number plates should be challaned, Ajay and Ashutosh - who carried a reward of Rs 50,000 each - used the car to commute between Delhi and Noida quite often.

Both the criminals, wanted in several cases in Delhi and UP, were gunned down by the STF on Noida Expressway, acting on a tip-off.

Pointing out a slip up on part of the Chinese Embassy, a senior Noida police official said, "According to the rules, the diplomatic number plate of the car has to be taken off immediately after the auction and the owner has to make a fresh registration, which was not done in this case."

Terror on tracks
Vehicle belonging to foreign missions bear the plates UN, CD or CC, which stand for United Nations", Diplomatic Corps or Consular Corps respectively. A diplomatic plate numbered 13 CC xxxx would refer to country 13, probably a country close to the letter A or B. For example, a vehicle bearing the number 77 CD xxxx in India refers to a vehicle owned by either the United States mission in India or by a person working with the mission.

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