TikTok-fame 'Helen of Sparta' booked for alleged drunk driving after 17km police chase

TikTok-fame vlogger and Instagram content creator S.R. Dhanya, popularly known as Helen of Sparta, has been booked after allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol and attempting to evade a police vehicle inspection in Kerala's Kasaragod district.

Dhanya, 28, was intercepted by Kumbala police after a chase of more than 17km in the early hours of July 1, according to the First Information Report (FIR) and police.

Police say vehicle sped away during inspection

The incident took place at around 2am during a routine vehicle inspection at Anangoor on National Highway 66.

Police said they found a car parked in the middle of the highway. As officers approached to inspect it, the driver allegedly accelerated and drove away without stopping.

According to the FIR, the vehicle was driven at high speed in a manner that endangered other road users. Police pursued the car and intercepted it near Bhagavathi Nagar at Bandiyod after a chase covering more than 17km.

A breathalyser test conducted after the interception indicated that Dhanya had consumed alcohol, police said. The FIR states that the reading on the device was 86.

The vehicle was later seized after police issued a notice under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

Kumbala police have registered a case under Section 281 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 132(1), 179 and 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Dhanya was later released after the prescribed legal procedures, including payment of the applicable fine, were completed.

TikTok-fame vlogger denies jail rumours

Following reports of the incident, the TikTok-fame vlogger shared a video on her Instagram Story denying rumours that she had been sent to jail.

She said she was not in jail and urged people not to trouble her parents by calling them with false claims. Dhanya added that she was at the Deputy Superintendent of Police's office and would later release a video explaining what had happened.

Dhanya first rose to prominence on TikTok as Helen of Sparta before shifting her content to Instagram after TikTok was banned in India.