No challan, no car impounding for drunk driving: Navi Mumbai cops take keys, drive group home, man praises humane response

An incident in Navi Mumbai, described as stranger than fiction, saw police stop a car for drunk driving but instead of issuing a challan or impounding the vehicle, they took the driver’s seat and drove the occupants safely back home.

A Navi Mumbai resident has shared a post on Reddit praising local police after a night of drunk driving ended without penalties and instead with assistance from officers to ensure safe return home.

The user admitted that the group had been out celebrating and consumed more alcohol than intended before deciding to drive home, calling it a poor decision. The individual said they expected a challan, warning or stricter action when police stopped them.


Also Read: Mumbai woman wins fight against housing society, forces revocation of ‘illegal’ rule

The Reddit post:

I'll be honest with you all , I messed up last night.

We were out celebrating, drank way more than we should have, and somehow convinced ourselves we could figure out getting home. We had the car. Nobody was thinking straight. Classic stupid decision in the making.

Navi Mumbai Police stopped us.

I was ready for the lecture. The challan. Maybe worse. We deserved all of it.

What happened instead?

One of the officers took my car keys, got in the driver's seat, and personally drove us home. His colleague followed in the police vehicle. They dropped each one of us at our doors. Made sure we got inside safely. No fines. No shouting. No making us feel like garbage even though we kinda were being garbage.

Before leaving, the officer just said something like "Don't do this again. Call someone next time." That's it.

I've spent years casually complaining about cops. Traffic stops. Challan. Whatever. Last night humbled me completely.

See the video of police driving the drunk guys back

These guys didn't have to do any of this. They could've impounded the car. They could've taken us to the station. They could've just called a cab and left. Instead they spent their night making sure some drunk idiots got home safe.

To those officers , I don't know if you'll ever see this, but thank you. You didn't just do your job. You restored something I didn't know I'd lost , basic faith in the system actually caring about people.

Navi Mumbai Police gets a lot of heat. Sometimes deserved. But last night they were absolute heroes, and I needed to put this out there.

Reactions to post

The post triggered reactions online, with users describing the conduct as humane policing and urging appreciation for the officers. Some shared similar experiences, noting positive interactions with police personnel, while others suggested acknowledging such behaviour by personally thanking the officers.