No misconduct in drink-drive check, Gurugram police tell ex-army officer

Officials said breathalyser readings exceeded the legal limit and the motorist was given another opportunity to take the test.

Days after a retired army officer alleged that he and his family were harassed by traffic police during a drink-and-drive check near Cyber Hub, Gurugram police on Tuesday said a preliminary inquiry found no evidence of misconduct and that the challan was issued in accordance with standard operating procedure.

No misconduct in drink-drive check, Gurugram police tell ex-army officer

DCP (traffic) Prateek Gahlot said footage from a body-worn camera used by one of the two officials who stopped the vehicle late Saturday was examined as part of the inquiry.

“From the footage, it is clear that the standard operating procedure was followed by police only after which the challan was issued when his alcometer reading, which is a breathalyser test, showed a reading above 30 mg/100 ml blood alcohol content (BAC),” Gahlot said.

He added that the complainant could be heard questioning the accuracy of the Alcometer. “On being asked, he was given a chance to blow again when the inspector, who was in charge of the checkpoint, had repeatedly asked him to blow properly in the machine which was recorded in the camera,” he said.

According to police, the complainant, who was travelling home from Cyber Hub with his wife and two minor daughters, was stopped at 12.07am on Sunday and issued a challan a minute later after the alcometer recorded a blood alcohol level of 91mg/100ml, nearly three times the permissible limit. The complainant had alleged in an email to the police commissioner and on social media posts that he had not consumed alcohol and claimed subsequent tests showed a blood alcohol level of 13 mg/100 ml. An emergency response vehicle had also reached the spot after his wife called Dial-112.

Gahlot said the challan was issued in accordance with the SOP, and the complainant could challenge it before a court or competent authority. He added that the inquiry was ongoing and statements of the personnel on duty and the complainant would be recorded before further action was taken.

The DCP also said all breathalysers are periodically tested and recalibrated, with certification issued for their use, and disposable straws are used for every test.

Police further clarified that directions issued by Gurugram police commissioner Sibash Kabiraj exempting vehicles carrying families, women, children or elderly persons from routine checks do not apply to drink-and-drive enforcement.