Woman arrested for driving SUV with forged diplomatic number plates in Delhi ahead of Republic Day celebrations

The Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested a 45-year-old woman for allegedly driving an SUV fitted with forged diplomatic registration plates in high-security areas of the national capital, officials said on Friday.

Police described the case as significant from a national security perspective, especially ahead of the Republic Day celebrations, according to an official statement.

The arrest followed specific intelligence inputs indicating that the woman had been frequently visiting embassies and other sensitive diplomatic zones while using a vehicle bearing fake diplomatic number plates, the statement added.


A police team intercepted the SUV (Toyota Innova) on January 15 in the Vasant Vihar area. During a search of the vehicle, officers recovered another forged plate resembling those used by foreign missions.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said the woman initially claimed to be a representative of a foreign embassy. However, she could not name name the mission or produce any valid diplomatic or ownership documents for the vehicle. She was taken to the Crime Branch office in Sunlight Colony for questioning.

During interrogation, the woman, a resident of Guwahati, told investigators that she had bought the SUV from a foreign embassy in November 2024 but did not get it registered in her name. To evade police checks and move freely in restricted zones, she allegedly replaced the original number plates with forged diplomatic ones, an officer said.

A graduate by qualification, she claimed to have been serving as an all-India secretary of a political party for the past four years. She also told police that she had worked as a consultant with a foreign embassy between 2023 and 2024, according to the DCP.

The woman further stated that she had earlier worked as a sports guide at the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya, and is currently engaged in consultancy work for African students seeking admission to educational institutions, the officer said.

Police have seized the SUV, two sets of forged diplomatic registration plates, a mobile phone and the vehicle’s sale documents. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway, the officer added.