Bhubaneswar: Paralympian Pramod Bhagat was issued a challan for drunken driving in the Odisha capital here on Sunday night.
According to sources, the 36-year-old para-shuttler, who was suspended for 18 months last month for violating the Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) anti-doping whereabouts clause, attempted to evade a police checkpoint near Omfed Square around 1.30 am by reversing his car.
“Our personnel intercepted his vehicle. During a breathalyser test, Bhagat was found drunk. He was driving the car. His car has been seized. He will have to pay a fine in court and get his vehicle released from the traffic police station. Not just Bhagat, vehicles of 24 other people were seized for drunk driving,” Bhubaneswar DCP Prateek Singh told TOI.
Also Read: Police Seize 25 Vehicles Including High-End Cars For Drunken Drive In Bhubaneswar
The e-challan issued against Bhagat revealed that his blood alcohol content was 47mg/100ml. Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act considers an alcohol content exceeding 30 mg per 100 ml of blood as driving in an inebriated state. A drunk driver faces a fine of Rs 10,000 or imprisonment up to six months, or both, for a first offence under the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019.
Bhagat, however, claimed that he was out of town and not present in the car. “My manager-cum-bodyguard was driving. I was not in Bhubaneswar,” he told mediapersons.
The shuttler had won gold medal in Men’s Singles category at 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo. He could not compete in Paris Paralympics due to the suspension.
Also Read: ‘Breach Due To Technical Glitch’: Odisha Para-Shuttler Pramod Bhagat Reacts To 18-Month Suspension