MVD official suspended for drunken driving in Kochi

Kochi: A Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) official was placed under suspension by Transport Commissioner Nagaraju Chakilam after he was booked for drunken driving on Thursday. The suspended officer has been identified as Binu N S (53), an Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspector attached to the Kakkanad Regional Transport Office. The suspension, pending inquiry, was issued citing a violation of the service code of conduct.

Thrikkakara police took the MVD official into custody on Wednesday night after a public confrontation. The incident occurred around 10 pm near Vazhakkala junction when Binu, allegedly in an intoxicated state and in plain clothes, stopped his private vehicle upon seeing a couple transferring fish from an autorickshaw to their roadside stall.

He accused the couple of violating MVD norms and threatened to impose a fine of up to ₹5,000. A heated argument erupted when the couple and the natives confronted him, noticing that he was visibly drunk. The residents refused to let him leave and insisted that the police conduct a breathalyser test.

Thrikkakara police were alerted via a control room call at 10.15 pm, and a team arrived at the scene. The residents held their ground, and police eventually administered a breathalyser test, which confirmed that Binu was intoxicated. He was subsequently taken into custody and transported to Thrippunithura Taluk Hospital for a medical examination.

Police confirmed that a Drunkenness Certificate and a blood sample were collected. Binu was booked for charges including rash driving under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and drunken driving under the Motor Vehicles Act.