UP man modifies car into 'helicopter'; fined

Police in Uttar Pradesh put paid the plans of a local in Ambedkar Nagar in the state who had resorted to the quintessential Indian 'jugaad' to modify a car to look like a helicopter!

Enterprising creator, Ishwar Deen who poured in over two-and-a-half lakh rupees into his labour of love was ordered to dismantle the rotor that he had welded on to the roof of an old car to make it resemble a chopper.

Ishwar, a resident of Khajuri Bazar was on his way to a workshop to get the 'car copter' painted when he was stopped by a traffic policeman and fined for his unauthorised modifications.

His unique vehicle was also confiscated by police and later released on payment of the fine.

Ishwar's modified version of the car also sports the tail rotor of a chopper welded to the boot of the car.

He said that he made the eye-catching customisations with plans to lend it to people who wanted unique weddings as a mode of transportation for brides and grooms and for other occasions.

"I had transformed the car to use it for booking during the wedding seasons so that our family will be able to earn some extra money," Ishwar said.

"The police issued a challan of Rs 2,000 and asked to remove the back portion of the car. I have invested Rs 2.5 lakh in this car and worked day and night to make this," he said.

The man said that his 'rath' (chariot) was intended to be used only during the wedding season and will not ply on the roads otherwise.

He also pointed out that similar vehicles were operating in other regions such as Bihar and Pratapgarh.

A video of his creation now parked outside a police station in Ambedkar Nagar and uploaded on social media has attracted a lot of comments from users.

The video shows a crowd of onlookers and a few policemen standing around the vehicle.

The police cited safety concerns as the primary reason for confiscating the vehicle. The police said the car was modified without proper authorization under the Motor Vehicles Act.

"Yesterday, a modified car was seized. Due to the enforcement of the the Model code of Conduct, police have been conducting vehicle checks and this modified car was intercepted by traffic police during one such inspection. Modifications require permission from the RTO department, and the vehicle was seized under Section 207 of the Motor Vehicles Act. We are investigating further," said Assistant Superintendent of Police Vishal Pandey.