Guwahati: Delhi police have arrested a 45-year-old woman from Assam for allegedly using counterfeit embassy number plates on a car she bought at an embassy auction.
Authorities said she was considered a potential threat to national security with Republic Day approaching.
The woman was taken into custody on January 15 outside a friend’s residence in Vasant Vihar following a tip-off. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav stated that the vehicle she was driving had a fake diplomatic registration, and another forged number plate was recovered during the arrest.
Police had been tracking her after receiving information that a woman was frequently visiting embassies in a car displaying forged plates belonging to the Gabon embassy.
During questioning, she admitted that she created fake plates to bypass police checks and gain access to restricted diplomatic zones.
She told investigators that she acted as a “liaison,” helping students seeking admission abroad connect with embassy officials. “Her arrest is significant in the context of national security, especially with Republic Day around the corner. Her activities are being thoroughly investigated,” Yadav added.
Authorities have seized her mobile phone for examination, and her movements and contacts are being verified.
Her husband works as an official in the Assam government. The woman claimed to represent a foreign embassy but could not provide any official documents to support this.
She also revealed that she had bought a Toyota Innova from a foreign embassy auction in November 2024 but never registered the vehicle in her name.
After the embassy reported the matter, she allegedly replaced the official plates with fake ones resembling those of the Gabon embassy.
In addition, she claimed to have held several positions in the past, including all-India secretary of a political party, consultant with a foreign embassy in 2023-24, and sports guide at a university in Meghalaya.
She also said she currently assists African students in securing admissions at a Meghalaya university. Police are yet to verify these statements.
The woman is originally from Guwahati and has three sons aged 21, 13, and five. She does not have a permanent residence in Delhi.
Police have registered a case against her under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code for cheating, forgery, impersonation, using forged documents, and criminal conspiracy.
Authorities initially placed her in police custody for six days and have now sent her to judicial custody.