In a significant cybercrime bust, the South Cyber Police have arrested Vinod Bawale, a 57-year-old resident of Bengaluru, for allegedly operating a fake website offering High-Security Registration Plates (HSRPs) and cheating vehicle owners across the country.
The arrest followed a complaint by Assistant Transport Commissioner Gajanan Thombre on March 7, after reports of people being overcharged or left without plates despite paying online. Police investigations revealed that Bawale had created a counterfeit website that mimicked official portals and lured users with deceptive links.
“He would charge Rs400 extra for two-wheelers, Rs700 for four-wheelers, and up to Rs1,500 for trucks,” a police officer said. In many cases, Bawale failed to deliver the HSRPs after collecting payments. When pressed by persistent applicants, he would instead register their number on the official RTO portal, creating an illusion of service.
So far, at least 40 victims have been identified.
The fraud came to light after the Supreme Court’s directive mandating HSRPs for all vehicles, prompting the Maharashtra government to appoint three official contractors: Rosmerta Safety Systems Ltd, Real Mazon India Ltd, and FTA HSRP Solutions Pvt Ltd. Two of these firms later alerted the transport department to the existence of six fake websites impersonating them.
Police confirmed that Bawale’s fake site went live around March 4, strategically timed before the HSRP installation deadline, making it difficult for users to distinguish between genuine and fraudulent services.
A case has been filed under:
Section 318(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (cheating for unfair gain),
Section 66C (identity theft),
Section 66D (cheating by personation using computer resources) of the Information Technology Act.
The police are continuing the investigation to trace any accomplices and track the flow of funds.
