Haryana man fails to pay ₹1 cr. for ‘fancy number’; Minister orders income check

Haryana Transport Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday directed officials to check the income and paying capacity of a man from Hisar who placed a staggering bid of ₹1.17 crore for a ‘fancy vehicle number’ but failed to deposit the full amount by the deadline.

Last week, during an online auction for the registration number HR-88-B-8888 in the Badhra subdivision of Charkhi Dadri district, the man was declared the successful bidder. He had paid ₹1,000 as participation fee and ₹10,000 as security deposit and was supposed to pay the remaining amount by Monday, officials said.

On Wednesday, Mr. Vij took note of the winner of the bid failing to pay the full amount within the stipulated time. He announced that the man’s financial capacity and source of income would be thoroughly investigated to verify whether he was genuinely capable of placing such a large bid.

“Fancy and VIP vehicle numbers in Haryana are allotted only through auctions. People often make very high bids to obtain these numbers as a matter of prestige. It also contributes significantly to State revenue,” the Transport Minister said.

He, however, added that the recent incident indicates that some individuals are treating the auction process “casually, merely as a show of interest, not a responsibility”.

“I have issued strict instructions to Transport Department officials to check the bidder’s actual income and property. It must be confirmed whether the person really has the financial capacity to bid ₹1.17 crore,” he said.

‘Avert such instances’

Mr. Vij added that a written request is being sent to the Income Tax Department to initiate a thorough investigation into the matter so that no one in future participates in auctions based on false financial claims or without sufficient economic ability.

The man’s security deposit of ₹10,000 will stand forfeited and the number will enter the auction process again, officials said.