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 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 officers noticed the car parked dangerously in the middle of six-lane NH66 at Anangoor near Vidyanagar.

As officers approached to check why the vehicle had been 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 at Kumbla police station, and the alcometer reading showed 82, well above the 30 mg per 100 ml limit prescribed under the Motor Vehicles Act. The officer concluded that the influencer had failed to stop because she was driving under the influence of alcohol.

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, 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.