The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has suspended a driver who allegedly drove a Sate Transport bus in an inebriated state for nearly nine kilometres. At the time, there were 35 passengers in the bus who raised an alarm after the driver refused to stop.

The incident on Wednesday night, however, did not lead to any accident.

Driver Kantaram Baban Thigale, 51, left Rajgurunagar station with Rajgurunagar-Wada bus at 8.30 pm and after he had driven a few kilometres passengers realised that he was drunk as he was racing the bus through potholes and speed-breakers. According to Rajgurunagar Police, Thigale didn’t pay heed to the terrified passengers pleading with him to stop the bus. Finally, the bus stopped when a passenger switched off the ignition key.

A case against Thigale was registered at Rajgurunagar police station after tests conducted on him proved he was driving drunk. He was released on bail on Saturday.