Once again questions raised on functioning of breathalysers

​Hyderabad: Once again the questions were raised on the functioning of breathalyser kits used by the traffic police in the city. A person who was caught by the traffic police for the drunk driving raised the question whether to trust the breathalyser kits or the certificate issued by the government doctor. 

According to vehicle owner N Nagabhushan Reddy (32), a private employee, on January 1, after completing his job at his office, Reddy on his CBZ bike (AP 29 AN 7499) headed towards Uppal. When he reached Tadbund at around 12:20 am which is in Trimulgherry police station limits, the traffic police stopped him at the checking point and directed him to take the breathalyser test. 

When he first took the test, it came negative. But when the police asked him to take the test for the second time, it showed positive with BAC 77mg/100 ml. Soon, the police booked a drunken drive case against him. Meanwhile, Reddy defended that he did not consume alcohol and there was something wrong with the reading by breathalyser. With this an argument ensued between Reddy and the police.

However, after the argument, the police suggested him to get a test done to check the alcohol status at either at Osmania Hospital or at Gandhi Hospital. Soon, Reddy went to Gandhi Hospital and got the blood test done to know the alcohol percentage. The test revealed that he has not consumed alcohol and no smell was coming from his breath. After collecting the report, Reddy returned to the police and showed the certificate given by the Casuality Medical Officer of Gandhi Hospital. 

But the police doubted the certificate and claimed that the readings by their breathalyser kits were accurate. The police who seized the bike asked him to attend a counselling session at their centre at Begumpet and attend IV Metropolitan Megistrate Court in Nampally on January 3. Reddy, meanwhile, demanded for justice and said he would fight till he gets the justice. 

Meanwhile, clarifying the doubts over the functioning of breathalysers used by the traffic police, Additional Commissioner of Traffic Anil Kumar said that their officials found that Reddy’s BAC level was 77 mg/100 ml as against permissible level of 30mg/100ml.  Despite that, he denied consuming alcohol. Trimulgherry traffic police issued e-ticket and detained the vehicle. He said the staff followed the Standard Operation Procedure laid down in Station House Reference Document.   

After seeing the newspaper report published on January 2, the traffic police made further enquiry and found that Nagabhushan Reddy had personally approached the Casuality Medical Officer at Gandhi Hospital on January 1 for medical check-up.  In the hospital, Casualty Medical Officer didn’t follow the due procedure to declare whether he was under the influence of alcohol or not.  He simply conducted oral clinical examination and certified that he was not under the influence of alcohol.  The medical officer did not collect the blood samples for forwarding to the laboratory like TSFSL.  Moreover,  Reddy was not accompanied by any police officer and on what grounds and on whose requisition or instruction the CMO conducted the oral test is yet to be verified.

Earlier also, similar allegation was made against Sultan Bazaar Traffic Police. In this connection, the Superintendent of Osmania General Hospital had constituted a three-member committee to enquire into the complaint.  The committee suggested that certain recommendations namely the CMOs should send alcoholic patients to DMO AMC,  the CMO should send blood samples to check for blood alcohol levels in all alcoholic cases to relevant agency like TSFSL and the CMO’s are advised to follow routine protocols strictly. Additional CP said the CMO of Gandhi Hospital did not follow the said due procedure.  Hence, the Hyderabad Traffic Police has made a complaint to the Medical Superintendent, Gandhi Hospital, Hyderabad  to enquire and take necessary action against Casuality Medical Officer.