KOCHI: The police on Sunday took a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) bus driver into custody for drink driving at the Ernakulam KSRTC bus station. The detained, Pradeepa Savantha, 42, of Haveri in Karnataka, was driving an interstate bus plying between Thiruvananthapuram and Bengaluru.
A motorist on the national highway (NH) alerted the police about reckless driving involving the bus. Subsequently, the police followed the vehicle to Kochi city and intercepted it at the entrance of the KSRTC bus station. They found the driver in an inebriated condition. A breathalyser test yielded a positive result.
Consequently, the police took Pradeepa into custody around 11.40pm and shifted him to the police station. They also collected his blood samples to check for alcohol content. The co-driver was permitted to continue the service. Pradeepa was released on bail, pending the results of the blood test.