Controversy over Sampla’s car number

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 19

A controversy has erupted over the number of a vehicle registered in the name of Union Minister and Punjab BJP Chief Vijay Sampla for his Innova car purchased in 2009.

The number, PB 08AF 0024, was found to have been issued earlier also to a Nakodar-based resident for his Ford Ikon car in 2001.

This has created apprehensions over a possible serious lapse because the minister’s car has access to high-security areas. The possibility of the vehicle with the same number causing a breach in security arrangements can not be ruled out.

When The Tribune made an enquiry, the person in whose name the car was registered could not be found at the address mentioned in the vehicle registration certificate (RC). It is pertinent to mention here that the daily expenses incurred on the aforesaid car is being taken care of by the Union government.

The issue came to light when Minty Harvinder Kaur, the woman who has accused Sampla’s nephew Ashu Sampla of sexual harassment, submitted the registration certificate (RC) recently to the Special Investigation team (SIT) formed by Jalandhar Police Commissioner Praveen Sinha to investigate the case. 

Following this, Sinha wrote to the District Transport Office (DTO) for verification of the RC. Surprisingly, the report submitted by the DTO on July 27 this year (a copy of which is with The Tribune) stated that the number was allotted to Nakodar resident Sukhdev Singh for his Ford Ikon purchased in 2001. 

Later, thinking that some error had taken place, the police again sent the RC for verification to the transport office. However, this time, a report sent by the DTO on August 1 informed that the vehicle was registered in the name of Sampla on March 25, 2009. 

However, denying that he had received any such report, Sinha said if found to be true, a separate investigation will be launched into the case to find out the reason behind such anomaly.  

Though Sampla was not available for his comments despite repeated attempts, Sinha said during the preliminary investigations in the Ashu Sampla sexual harassment case, it was found that the vehicle was not used much by Sampla. 

In her statement to the SIT, Minty had alleged that she was made to stay in the aforesaid car the whole night in the parking lot of Circuit House at Jalandhar after a brief tussle with Ashu Sampla. 

Points to ponder 

How come a Union Minister was using a car registered in the name of a common man for over eight years without any check? 

The woman who has levelled sexual harassment charge against Ashu Sampla has claimed she had the RC in her possession for the last six months. Then was Sampla using the car without documents? Though he claimed to have registered the complaint about the lost RC at a police station in Hoshiarpur, then why did he not get a duplicate RC made till date? Was the police report filed in a hurry after Minty highlighted the issue?

Has the DTO office committed such serious blunders in other cases as well? This requires a complete scrutiny of DTO records.