JOIN USAs if the reputation of their city having the highest density of motor vehicles in India was not enough, Chandigarh residents have developed a fondness for splurging lakhs on VIP car registration numbers too.
With one car owner spending Rs 10 lakh in May, 2010 on the number plate of his Toyota Fortuner, priced at Rs 20 lakh, the numbers game in the Union Territory has literally been on a high.
The latest to join the bandwagon is disgraced former Haryana director general of police S P S Rathore, who was convicted in December, 2009 for molesting a teenaged girl Ruchika Girotra in Panchkula town in August, 1990.
Rathore has picked up the registration number CH01-AM-0001 for a whopping Rs 9,05,001 for a new Mercedes car that he bought for his wife Abha Rathore.
The ex-DGP, who is currently on bail after spending nearly six months in jail following his conviction, has bought a C-class Mercedes for his lawyer wife, who fought his legal battles in various courts in the case.
High price
In recent years, the VIP number ‘0001’ has gone for a price ranging from Rs 70,000 to Rs 10 lakh.
The recent auction for the numbers at the RLA office here went on till 10 pm on Tuesday.
Over 800 people had bid for various numbers of their choice, including VIP numbers. Even the number ‘0100’ fetched Rs 2,01,000 for the government.
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