Drunk driving: Man proves Bangalore cops wrong

Bangalore: Faced with the false allegation that he had consumed alcohol above the permissible limit of 30mg and having been wrongfully issued a challan, an engineering graduate who was denied a mandatory blood test by the police chose to spend Rs 1,000 and got his blood tested at a reputed hospital instead.

Around 10.45 pm on Saturday, December 7, 27-year-old Vinay I and three of his friends were driving from a friend’s house in Richmond Town to Chinnaswamy Stadium, when the group was stopped at Anil Kumble circle on MG Road by sub-inspector P Krishnaiah and two constables attached to the Cubbon Park traffic police station.

Vinay, who was driving the car, was asked to breathe into the alcometer, which reportedly registered a negative reading.

“One of the constables asked me if I had consumed alcohol, so I said yes, because I had had a pint of beer, which was way below the permissible limit. Though I was being completely co-operative, he leaned into the vehicle immediately, took my car keys, and yelled at me to get down. He parked my car to the side of the road, and then sub-inspector Krishnaiah insisted that I take the test again,” recalled Vinay.

This time, the sub-inspector allegedly told the constable holding the alcometer to use a straw taken from his associate’s pocket.

Vinay, who claims this straw was soiled, was then reportedly asked to blow into the device for ten seconds, following which it suddenly registered a reading of 143mg of alcohol.

“When I asked sub-inspector Krishnaiah for an explanation, he did not respond but instead forced me to sign a challan because I refused to pay an on-the-spot fine. When I demanded to be accompanied to Bowring hospital to take the mandatory blood test, I was refused point-blank! The sub-inspector then forcefully took away my friend’s driving licence along with mine, saying he would give them back after we had been to the court,” said Vinay.

Resolving to prove his innocence, Vinay and his friends proceeded toward Bowring Hospital by themselves to get his blood test done. They were stopped once more by some policemen at Infantry road, but were allowed to move on when the reading said ‘No alcohol’.

The group was reportedly denied a test at Bowring Hospital since they were not accompanied by policemen. So they went to Manipal Hospital where the blood test, conducted for Rs 1000, showed a reading of 20mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.

Armed with the proof, Vinay went and met sub-inspector Krishnaiah on Monday, asking for the challan to be cancelled, but was rudely informed that he had to go to court before December 16, and pay a fine in order to get back the two licences seized by the police.

Distraught but determined to get justice anyway, the victim then appro­ached the office of the state police chief on Nrup­athunga Road, where he was directed to lodge a comp­laint with the Grievances and Human Rights cell.

“I have lodged a formal complaint against sub-inspector Krishnaiah and received an acknowledgement. The officials have promised to respond within a fortnight,” Vinay added.