“We had received complaints that several people had left the hotel in the wee hours in an inebriated state and were driving dangerously on empty roads,” said DCP Traffic (New Delhi) Suvashish Chaudhary. The drive that began around midnight lasted till 4.15 am.

As many as 40 personnel, including the DCP, positioned themselves at six pickets manning the exit and entry points and all arterial roads leading to the hotel. Of the 250-odd people checked, 33 were challaned, with 26 testing positive for higher than permissive alcohol levels. They also prosecuted a girl who was driving a luxury car and Haryana MP Kuldeep Bishnoi who was challaned for “dangerous driving”. “He (Bishnoi) was driving an SUV with a VIP number. He was sober but had been driving dangerously and speeding,” said a senior officer.

The traffic police, however, have not approached the hotel management till now. They have been carrying out a series of drives to curb drunken driving. The traffic police have been especially targeting areas around major hotels and pubs.