Mammooty grabs his fancy number '369' for just Rs1,500

Kochi: Actor Mammootty secured KL 7 CG 369 for his Porsche at an auction held at Ernakulam regional transport office in Kakkanad on Monday. According to motor vehicles department (MVD), the actor clinched the number for just Rs 1,500 after two other bidders offered Rs 500 and 1,000, respectively. "It is after a long gap that the actor got his favourite number. He had lost in an earlier auction held for this series," said an official.

In the auction for KL 7 BM, Syed Mohammed Nasser, a Gulf-based businessman from Perumbavoor, had outbid the actor. Nasser had won the number KL 7 CC 369 beating actor and Mammootty's son Dulquer Salmaan. During the auction for KL 7 CE 369, Nasser beat cricketer Sreesanth. The cricketer, who wanted the number for his Jaguar, had to satisfy with KL 7 CF 3699.

In recent times, the amount raised through auctioning of fancy numbers have come down. On Monday, a total of 14 fancy numbers were auctioned. The collection through auctioning of these numbers come to roughly Rs 2 lakh. "The revenue through auctioning has reduced in the last six or seven months. Earlier a participant had to submit a tender quoting the maximum amount he or she would be offering for the same number. Then, all the participants would take part in the auctioning. Those offering highest rate or tender would be allotted the number,'' an MVD official said.

"As the amount quoted in the tenders by different persons remain secret, the participants would offer high amounts. But the government has now scrapped the tender system,'' he said.


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