The Gurgaon traffic police on Tuesday refuted allegations of harassment and procedural lapses raised by a former Army officer during a drunk driving check on Saturday night. Officials stated that a review of the bodycam footage showed no misconduct by the personnel involved.
Allegations by Ex-Army Officer
The ex-Army officer had claimed that he was denied a fresh straw for the breathalyser and a fair retest when police stopped him and his family near Cyber Hub around 11:55 pm. He alleged that when he raised concerns about procedural lapses, the personnel made derogatory remarks about his military background. He further stated that when a retest was finally conducted, the reading was 13 mg/100 ml, well below the legal limit of 30 mg/100 ml of blood. He demanded the revocation of the challan, preservation of CCTV footage, body-camera and dashboard-camera recordings, breathalyser logs, and calibration records.
Police Response
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Prateek Gehlot explained that cops follow a standard operating procedure (SOP) while conducting alcohol checks. The bodycam footage revealed that the personnel involved followed the rules while issuing the challan. “The footage showed that the driver was issued a challan under the Motor Vehicles Act after the alcohol sensor recorded a reading of 91. No evidence of misbehaviour by traffic personnel with the driver or his family members was found,” he said.
Calibration and Procedure
Gehlot added that the machines used by police are calibrated and certified by authorised laboratories. “Each driver is tested using a fresh single-use mouthpiece, which is opened in front of the person before the test. If the machine’s reading goes above 30, then the police have no option other than to issue the challan,” the DCP said. He further noted that readings are cross-checked with the number of challans issued the next morning. “If there are 15 readings that are above 30 mg/100 ml, we ask the person in charge to show 15 corresponding challans,” he explained.
Challan Cancellation
Gehlot clarified that once a challan is issued, traffic police do not have the authority to cancel it. Any person wanting to challenge the challan can approach the appellate authority or court, depending on the nature of the offence.
Importance of Drunk Driving Checks
The DCP emphasised that rigorous drunk driving checks are conducted to prevent loss of life due to negligence. “If one person driving under the influence of alcohol meets with an accident, then one life is lost. If the wife and children are also there and an accident happens, then four lives are put at risk,” he said.
Further Inquiry
Further inquiry into the matter will be conducted by the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic East).
