Absconding driver arrested

Pali Hill resident, Hussain Kalvat, 22, who led the police on a merry-chase on June 21 after breaking a traffic police cordon, was arrested on Saturday.

Narrating the sequence of events, Harish Baijal, deputy commissioner (traffic), said that as part of their initiative to curb drunken driving, the police had stopped a metallic silver Skoda at Worli Naka on June 21 and had asked the driver to disembark for a breathalyser test.

“Instead, Kalvat broke the cordon and sped away. Two constables had to jump aside to save themselves from being hit by the speeding vehicle,” said Baijal. The police flashed a wireless message and the car was again stopped at Mahim. The driver slowed down, but as the cops approached him,  he sped towards Bandra. The traffic police lost the trail in the narrow lanes of Bandra.

The traffic police learnt that Kalvat was a residence of Pali Hill. For 10 days, they made inquiries in Pali Hill about the whereabouts of the Skoda owner. On Friday, the traffic police identified the residence of Kalvat and arrested him on Saturday. He was booked under sections 279 and 336 of the Motor Vehicles Act. The vehicle was seized by the Worli police.

The police said that Kalvat had recently returned from the US after completing his graduation and was studying Law at a city college. The family runs a farm produce unit.