Actor fined for drunken driving

BHUBANESWAR: A young Odia film actor-cum-associate director landed in trouble for alleged drunken driving and carrying police costume in his bag on Tuesday night.
Amaresh Pati was detained during a late night checking on the New Year eve and later released after police confirmed his background.
Sources said DCP (traffic) S Shyni caught him without helmet and talking on his cellphone while riding his bike around 11.30 pm near Acharya Vihar.He was later subjected to alcohol breath analyzer test, which proved he was riding in an inebriated condition, police said. When Shyni instructed her staff to check his bag, they found a police uniform and a baton inside.
"For obvious reasons, we suspected he might have committed or was planning to execute an offence in the guise of a police officer. Though he claimed to be an actor, I sent him to the traffic police station for further verification," Shyni told TOI.
The actor said he was returning from a shoot when police stopped him. "I play the character of a police officer in an upcoming movie. So I was carrying the costume," he said.
Pati spent nearly two hours at the police station before being given a clean chit around 1.30 am. "We established his links with the Ollywood industry after contacting some cinestars and directors. His elder brother is a film director. We collected Rs 500 fine for drunken driving," said a traffic police officer.
In another incident the same night, three tipsy youth gave traffic police the slip when they sneaked into an abandoned government quarters of a former minister near Raj Bhawan. "We failed to trace them as they mingled with students busy in new year celebrations there," the police officer said.
As many as 220 people were fined for rash and drunken driving on Tuesday night. Four men were injured following two separate road accidents at Kharvela Nagar and Housing Board Square. "The New Year celebration was by and large peaceful. No untoward incident was reported," police commissioner R P Sharma said.