Kerala Police registered 6,199 drunken-driving cases during a four-day statewide enforcement drive and will continue round-the-clock checks on roads until January, with intensified inspections planned during the Christmas and New Year season.
The special drive was conducted from 7am on October 13 to 7am on October 17 under the supervision of zonal inspectors general, range deputy inspectors general and district police chiefs. The operation was ordered by ADGP (law and order) P Vijayan.
Ernakulam rural recorded the highest number of cases at 710, followed by Thiruvananthapuram rural with 497 and Kottayam with 456. Kasaragod reported the lowest number, with 75 cases during the enforcement period.
District police chiefs have directed police stations to double drunken-driving checks in the coming days. Officers have also been instructed not to entertain political recommendations in such cases, according to the report. Police and excise squads will conduct the checks jointly as enforcement continues across the state.
ADGP Vijayan said drunken driving was a major cause of road accidents and fatalities. He added that vehicle inspections would continue in the coming days, as police prepare for a period when road movement typically increases around Christmas and New Year celebrations.
The enforcement action is being carried out under Operation Toofan, a statewide anti-drug initiative launched in June. The initiative involves coordinated action by multiple departments to combat drug trafficking and substance abuse. The latest checks have brought alcohol-impaired driving within the wider enforcement effort.
Police have warned that vehicles may be confiscated and auctioned, or driving licences cancelled for life, for every drunken-driving offence. The warning applies to motorists generally, with commercial vehicle drivers specifically advised not to drive under the influence of alcohol and to follow traffic regulations.
The continued checks will place police stations, excise squads and district-level enforcement teams at the centre of road-safety operations through January. Authorities have not announced a separate statewide target for the next phase, but district police chiefs have been directed to maintain intensified inspections.
