Button Pressed, Number Plate Disappeared: Pune RTO Catches SUV Owner After Viral Video

Pune, 9th September 2026: A Tathawade-based SUV owner has been fined ₹4,500 by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Regional Transport Office (RTO) after officials found a mechanism installed on his vehicle that could conceal its registration number at the push of a button.

The action followed a video showing the SUV with its number plate apparently being covered automatically while travelling on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway. The video was widely circulated on social media, prompting the RTO to trace the vehicle.

Pimpri-Chinchwad Regional Transport Officer Sandesh Chavan said officials identified the vehicle through its registration details and found that it was registered with the local RTO.

“After the video was circulated, we checked the SUV’s registration number and found that it had been registered with the RTO office here. Checks on the vehicle revealed that a device connected with wires was installed on the registration number plate,” Chavan said.

According to the RTO, the device was operated using a button inside the vehicle. When activated, a black shutter moved down and covered the registration plate, effectively preventing the number from being visible to road surveillance cameras.

The case also brought to light a substantial number of pending traffic violations against the vehicle. An RTO source said the SUV had 55 unpaid e-challans carrying fines of around ₹1.22 lakh, with most of the violations reportedly related to speeding. Several of the speeding offences had attracted penalties of ₹2,000 each.

The RTO subsequently issued a ₹4,500 challan for the unauthorised modification made to the vehicle. The fine was collected on Tuesday.
Chavan said the owner had also been warned against making similar modifications in the future and instructed to clear the outstanding traffic penalties.

The vehicle owner has been asked to appear before the RTO again this week with the SUV. Officials said the vehicle and its documents would be subjected to a detailed inspection.

“This is a serious case and we want to set an example so that no one tries the same trick,” Chavan said.

The incident has also highlighted the availability of mechanical number plate-hiding devices in the aftermarket. Automobile spare-parts dealers said such devices are available through some e-commerce platforms for approximately ₹350 to ₹400.

A dealer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said legitimate shops generally avoid stocking such products because their use is illegal. However, some vehicle owners reportedly purchase them online and approach smaller garages or spare-parts shops for installation.

The RTO’s action comes amid increasing reliance on CCTV cameras and automated systems to detect traffic violations, particularly speeding and other offences on Pune’s major roads and expressways.