Siliguri, 04th August: A school van driver was detained by police for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol in Naukaghat area of Siliguri.
According to information, the driver had started his journey to drop students home after school when local residents suspected that he was driving in an intoxicated condition.
The locals then stopped the school van and informed New Jalpaiguri (NJP) Police Station. Acting on the information, police reached the spot and took the vehicle into custody before bringing it to the police station.
Police later contacted the students’ families and ensured that the children were safely taken back home. According to police sources, the detained driver has been identified as Swapan Dey (56), a resident of D.S. Colony area.
When contacted, the concerned school authorities stated that the vehicle does not belong to the school. The school had only granted permission for the service with the condition that students would be transported while following traffic rules.
The school authorities further stated that steps will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future and the accused driver will not be allowed to drive the vehicle again.
Police are questioning the accused driver and an investigation into the incident is underway.