No lapses in drunk driving check: Police deny harassment claims by ex-Army man, cites bodycam footage

Gurgaon: The 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, saying a review of the bodycam footage showed no misconduct.The ex-Army officer had claimed he was denied a fresh straw on the breathalyser and a fair retest when cops had stopped him and his family near Cyber Hub around 11.55pm. He said when he raised concerns about lapses, the personnel involved made derogatory remarks about his military background. He also said that when a retest was finally conducted, the reading was 13mg/100ml — well below the limit of 30mg/100ml of blood. He had demanded revocation of the challan, preservation of CCTV footage, body-camera and dashboard-camera recordings, breathalyser logs and calibration records.Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Prateek Gehlot said cops follow a standard operating procedure (SOP) while conducting alcohol checks. The bodycam footage showed 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.He 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 added that the readings are cross-checked with the number of challans issued the next morning. “If there are 15 readings that are above 30mg/100ml, we ask the person in charge to show 15 corresponding challans,” he said.Gehlot said 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.The DCP said rigorous drunk driving checks are done to ensure lives are not lost 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 into the matter will be conducted by the assistant commissioner of police (traffic east).