Police driver held for Bevco ruckus

Kochi: Kunnathunad police arrested a police driver after he created a ruckus at an outlet of Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco) at Pulinchodu near Pattimattom and tried to take away a bottle of alcohol without paying for it. According to police, he also verbally abused a woman staffer at the cash counter when asked to pay. District police chief (Ernakulam rural) placed him under suspension.
The accused has been identified as K K Gopi, 52, a driver attached to Kalamassery Armed Reserve camp.According to police, the incident happened around 11am on Sunday and he was arrested around 9pm. He was booked under serious charges and remanded in judicial custody.
When he tried to force his way out of the shop with the bottle, he was blocked by another staff member and other customers present at the shop. The accused then gave up the bottle and escaped.
According to sources, the accused was familiar to the Bevco staff. He had earlier misplaced his wallet and mobile phone at the outlet on Uthradam day and later went to get the items back, police said.
He was booked under sections 132 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 32 (acts of assault or use of criminal force against women with the intent or likelihood of outraging their modesty), 75(1)(i) (physical contact and advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures), 79 (insult a woman's modesty, including verbal insults, inappropriate gestures or objects, and privacy invasions), and 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act section 3(1) (commits mischief by damaging public property).