Kasaragod: A lifestyle and entertainment influencer with one million followers on Instagram was booked for driving under the influence of alcohol after a 17-km police chase on the National Highway 66 in Kasaragod.

The Kumbla Police impounded the Tata Punch driven by Dhanya S R (28), better known on social media as 'Helen of Sparta', after intercepting it at Bandiyod around 2 am on Wednesday.

According to the FIR, a police patrol led by Inspector Baiju K Jose was returning to Kumbla from Vidyanagar Police Station when they noticed the car parked dangerously in the middle of the six-lane NH66 at Anangoor near Vidyanagar.

As officers approached to check why the vehicle had stopped, the driver allegedly sped away, ignoring repeated instructions to stop. Police said the car was pursued for more than 17 km before it was intercepted at Bhagavathi Nagar in Mangalpady village.

The inspector said he noticed a strong smell of alcohol on Dhanya's breath while she was speaking. She was subjected to a breathalyser test at 2.06 am and the alcometer reading showed 82, well above the 30 mg per 100 ml limit prescribed under the Motor Vehicles Act. 

Her husband, Rajesh K R, who was travelling in the vehicle, was informed of the offences before police served Dhanya with a notice under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), under which arrest was not considered necessary. The Tata Punch was later seized and taken to the Kumbla Police Station.

Police said Dhanya was booked for rash driving and driving under the influence of alcohol, failing to stop when directed by police, and disobedience under Section 281 of the BNS and Sections 132(1), 179 and 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Speaking to Onmanorama, Dhanya admitted she had been driving under the influence of alcohol and that the police had only imposed a fine, which she intended to pay. She maintained that she had neither been arrested nor had her car been impounded. To be sure, the car was seized for the record and released immediately. Recounting the incident, she said she became confused about whether to stop or which direction to take after noticing the police, and instead drove home, where officers caught up with her.

"The officers were polite. They told me I could have met with an accident and that this conversation would have been very different if that had happened. I agreed," she said. "They asked me to wait while they brought an alcometer from the police station. I waited and took the test. Of course, I had had a few pegs." 

Dhanya also said some news channels had falsely reported that she was under the influence of MDMA or other narcotic drugs. "I voluntarily gave a blood sample for testing at MIMS Hospital. Once I receive the report, I'll publish it on my social media," she said.