James Bond-style number plate flip stuns police in drunk-driving case

It was past midnight on April 11 when traffic police conducting a routine drunk-driving check on Road No. 1 in Hyderabad's upscale Jubilee Hills intercepted a BMW. The driver, identified as Gautham Reddy, a doctor from Gandhinagar, was visibly intoxicated and refused to cooperate with officers.

What followed was something straight out of a spy thriller, as a policeman found Reddy to be intoxicated and proceeded to do a breathalyser test. The car owner quickly changed the number plate of the car with a remote controller. The officials at the spot watched in disbelief as the plate switched from a Telangana registration, TS9FQ9999, to a Delhi one, DL6CM7097.

Rare and advanced modification

Police established that Reddy had used an electric licence plate flipper (ELPF) with a remote control, a device banned in India. The system was described as Chinese-style, and police confirmed through chassis and engine numbers that the vehicle was originally registered in Delhi. The Telangana plate, meanwhile, was traced back to another vehicle linked to Reddy, a deliberate move to mislead surveillance cameras and dodge e-challans.

Also Read: Seven killed as speeding truck mows down pilgrims in Gujarat's Surendranagar

"Avoiding fake number plates isn't new, but this kind of advanced setup is rare. It appears to be a calculated attempt to dodge penalties and mislead digital surveillance," NDTV quoted N Ravinder, a traffic inspector from Jubilee Hills Police Station.

BAC 4.5 times over limit

A breathalyser test revealed Gautham's blood alcohol content at 137 mg/100 ml, well above the permissible limit of 30 mg/100 ml. He was booked under sections of cheating and impersonation, along with drunk-driving violations under the Motor Vehicles Act.

N Ravinder confirmed that a formal complaint had been lodged, and an investigation was underway to examine the origin and legality of the number plate switching device.

First such case in India

This is said to be the first incident in India in which a car was found fitted with such a high-tech mechanism to change number plates. Police believe the illegal modification was installed at a private car decor unit, which is also likely to face legal action. The BMW has been seized for forensic examination.

When the story broke, people on the internet were quick to point out how the incident was reminiscent of James Bond's iconic Aston Martin DB5, featured in films from Thunderball to No Time To Die.