01 June,2026 07:34 AM IST | Mumbai | Aishwarya Iyer
Police are probing the source of the plate and whether a larger counterfeit HSRP syndicate is involved. Representation pic
Powai police have registered a case against an alleged Kia Seltos owner and an unidentified number-plate vendor after an authorised manufacturer of High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) alleged that its proprietary security code was illegally copied and used on a vehicle, pointing to a possible counterfeit number-plate racket.
The complaint was filed by Ranjit Jha, 45, who oversees quality checks and laser identification code (LID) verification at an authorised HSRP manufacturing company. Jha told mid-day, "Every HSRP carries a unique laser code allotted to authorised manufacturers." He added that his company has been assigned the code prefix "IF" by the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), New Delhi, and no other manufacturer is permitted to use it. The alleged fraud surfaced on February 23 when a man identified as Ganesh arrived at the company's Powai facility with a Kia Seltos for verification of its HSRP.
During verification, company officials found that the vehicle's HSRP carried a laser identification code that belonged exclusively to their company. However, the firm does not manufacture HSRP plates for Kia vehicles. Officials said Kia number plates are produced by another authorised vendor, making it impossible for a genuine Kia plate to carry the company's code. When questioned about where the plate had been made, Ganesh allegedly refused to share details and drove away before further verification could be completed.
Jha informed senior officials, following which the company conducted an internal review and concluded that its proprietary laser code had been illegally copied and used to manufacture a counterfeit HSRP plate. In the complaint, Jha alleged that the unauthorised use of the code amounted to cheating, copyright infringement and misuse of electronic identifiers. He also claimed the act harmed the company's reputation by creating the impression that the plate had been manufactured by them.
Based on the complaint, Powai police registered an FIR against Ganesh and an unidentified vendor suspected of manufacturing the plate. Investigators will now probe the source of the plate, the owner's role and whether a larger counterfeit HSRP network is involved.
>> HSRP stands for High Security Registration Plate
>> It is a tamper-proof number plate mandated by the government
>> Each plate carries a hologram, laser code and unique identification number
>> The system was introduced to curb vehicle theft and fake registrations
As per police, cloned security codes can make unauthorised plates appear genuine and may be used to:
>> Give stolen vehicles a legitimate-looking identity
>> Evade detection during routine checks
>> Mislead investigators
>> Create duplicate registration identities
>> Undermine integrity of the HSRP system
A senior police officer,
âNo arrests have been made so far. The booked accused is being questioned about the source of the plate. He claims it's his own vehicle, bought by him. We are trying to find the vendor as well. Meanwhile, a team is looking into the paperwork and documents provided by the accused to verify his claims.'
