Chennai

Viral video prompts city traffic cops to check breathalyzers

Deepak of Saligramam was intercepted by a police team near Eldams Road on Monday night. When he was checked using the breathalyzer, the machine reportedly showed 44% alcohol in his body.

DTNEXT Bureau

CHENNAI: A teetotaller city businessman’s angst after a breathalyzer claimed he was drunk while driving has prompted the city traffic police to check all the machines, after a video of the incident that happened on Monday went viral.

Deepak of Saligramam was intercepted by a police team near Eldams Road on Monday night. When he was checked using the breathalyzer, the machine reportedly showed 44% alcohol in his body. Deepak objected to this, pointing out that he was a teetotaller and argued that the machine was malfunctioning.

“I even offered to accompany the officials to a government hospital for a blood test. After a few minutes, other policemen came and when they checked with two other machines, it showed 0%, after which the policeman who was argued and harassed me merely asked me to leave,” Deepak said in a video.

When asked about the incident after the video went viral, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Kapilkumar C Saratkar told mediapersons that the incident had come to their attended and added that the police would review the matter.

“It is very rare (for the machine to malfunction). We will check all the machines again with non-drinkers to find if there are any issues. We don’t know yet whether what the person says is true or not,” the Additional Commissioner said.

As on date, the city police have more than 300 breathalyzer machines, which are given to both traffic and law&order personnel.

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