Security scare: Woman drives around in Delhi using forged diplomatic number plates; arrested

NEW DELHI: A woman has been arrested for allegedly driving through high-security areas of Delhi using forged diplomatic registration plates, raising security concerns ahead of the January 26 Republic Day celebrations, officials said on Friday.

According to a Delhi Police statement, the 45-year-old accused, a resident of Assam's Guwahati, was arrested following specific intelligence that a woman was frequently visiting various embassies and other sensitive diplomatic zones using a vehicle with forged registration plates.On January 15, a police team intercepted her vehicle—a Toyota Innova SUV—in the Vasant Vihar area. During a search, another forged plate resembling those used by foreign missions was recovered."She initially claimed to be a representative of a foreign embassy. However, she could not name the mission or produce any valid diplomatic or ownership documents for the vehicle. She was taken for questioning," PTI quoted DCP (Crime Branch) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav as saying.During interrogation, the woman revealed that she had purchased the SUV from a foreign embassy in November 2024 but failed to get it registered in her name.

To avoid police checks and move freely in restricted areas, she replaced the original plates with forged ones, the DCP added.The accused further claimed to be serving as an "all-India secretary of a political party" for the past four years. She also said she had worked as a "consultant" with a foreign embassy between 2023 and 2024, the DCP added.She told police that she had worked as a sports guide at the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya, and is currently involved in consultancy work for African students seeking admissions, the officer added.Police have seized the SUV, two sets of forged plates, a mobile phone, and the vehicle’s sale documents. A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway.