- Sudhir Kumar failed to pay Rs 1.17 crore for India's costliest number plate HR88B8888
- Haryana Transport Minister ordered investigation into Kumar’s assets and income
- Minister will request Income Tax Department to verify Kumar’s financial capability
Bidding and then failing to pay Rs 1.17 crore for India's costliest number plate 'HR88B8888' has come with repercussions for bidder Sudhir Kumar as the Haryana government will now investigate his assets.
Haryana Transport Minister Anil Vij has ordered his department to thoroughly investigate the assets and income of Sudhir Kumar, Director of transportation service Romulus Solutions Private Limited.
Speaking to the media, Vij said, "We offer VIP number plates via auction. Several people bid for the number '8888'. However, after winning the auction by placing the highest bid, the bidder (Sudhir Kumar) did not pay the amount. Instead, he let his security deposit of Rs 11,000 to be forfeited."
Vij has asked to check if Kumar has a net worth of Rs 1.17 crore, the bidding amount for the VIP number plate.
The minister stated that he will write to the Income Tax Department, requesting them to investigate. It is to prevent bidders from increasing the cost of a number plate without financial capability.
"Bidding in auctions is not a hobby, it's a responsibility," Vij said.
The number plate will be reauctioned.
When 'HR88B8888' Became India's Costliest Number Plate
On November 26, the number plate 'HR88B8888' grabbed headlines for being sold for Rs 1.17 crore, making it India's costliest car registration number.
It received 45 applications with the base price of Rs 50,000.
The deadline to pay the bidding amount was December 1 but Sudhir Kumar failed to do so. The reason for this is not clear.
On Sunday, Kumar said he tried to deposit the bid amount twice on Saturday night but failed due to a technical glitch. He also said that his family is against spending a hefty amount on a number plate.
"Discussions are currently underway with the family. Elderlies in the family that it is not a wise decision to spend such a large amount on a number plate, while I am in favour of it. We will make a final decision by Monday."
Haryana Auctions VIP Number Plates
Haryana holds online auctions for VIP or fancy number plates weekly. Between Friday 5 pm and Monday 9 am, bidders can apply for the number of their choice. And then the game of bidding begins until the results are announced on Wednesday 5 pm. The auction takes place entirely online on the official fancy.parivahan.gov.in portal.
Why HR88B8888 Is Special?
HR88B8888 is a unique vehicle number or VIP number purchased at a premium through bidding.
HR is the state code, indicating the vehicle is registered in Haryana.
88 represents the specific Regional Transport Office (RTO) or district within Haryana where the vehicle is registered.
B is used to indicate vehicle series code within the specific RTO.
8888 is the unique, four-digit registration number assigned to the vehicle.
What makes the number plate special is that it looks like a string of eights considering 'B' in uppercase resembles an eight and there is only one digit repeated.
