Hyderabad Traffic Police deleted its initial response to a complaint about a stylised vehicle number plate. The post, however, went viral and invited several jibes.Hyderabad Traffic Police shared an odd reply to a rule-flouting number plate image.

Hyderabad Traffic Police found themselves on the receiving end of an online joke after asking an X user for a front-facing picture of a vehicle whose rule-flouting number plate was already visible in the post. The police later deleted the reply, acknowledged the violation and said action was being initiated against the vehicle owner.The episode began when X user Serish shared a photograph of an electric vehicle spotted near Panjagutta signal in Hyderabad at 4:14 pm on October 24.

The registration plate featured lettering that appeared to spell out ‘SRI’, with the numbers rendered in a stylised manner that made them difficult to distinguish.The user tagged Hyderabad Police and the Regional Transport Authority (RTA), asking where they could get a similar plate with the numbers 5121. The post caught the attention of Hyderabad Traffic Police, but its first response took an unexpected turn.“Sir, the violation is not clearly visible as the image has been taken from the rear side.

Kindly share a clear image of the vehicle from the front, so that necessary action can be taken,” the department replied. See the post:The request left social media users puzzled.

The questionable lettering was visible in the photograph, prompting some to wonder why the police needed another angle to identify the problem.The department realised the gaffe and subsequently deleted its original response and posted a revised message acknowledging the violation.“Thank you for flagging this, Sir. The non-standard lettering on the number plate is clearly visible, and the rules apply equally to front and rear plates,” the police said.It added that the vehicle details had been verified and action was being initiated under the Motor Vehicles Act.

The department also reiterated that only standard High-Security Registration Plate (HSRP) plates are permitted.By then, however, the initial response had already become fodder for online humour. Eagle-eyed users picked up on the apparent oversight, with some joking that the police needed an eye check-up to spot what was visible in the photograph.While the police eventually confirmed that action was being taken, it was their deleted reply, rather than the questionable number plate itself, that became the centre of attention online.- Ends