Suspended Palanpur policeman dies by suicide after disciplinary transfer over alcohol incident
Updated: Jun 9th, 2025
A 32-year-old head constable from Palanpur, Viththal Rameshchandra Chauhan, took his own life on Sunday night. This comes weeks after he was suspended and transferred for allegedly reporting to duty for a high-security event attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel while drunk.
The incident has once again drawn attention to the mental health toll of police personnel, as well as the continued prevalence of alcohol consumption in Gujarat’s police force, despite the state’s official prohibition laws.
Found drunk during CM’s Kutch event, officer was suspended and transferred
Chauhan had been posted at Bhuj Police Headquarters for seven years and was recently transferred to rural Surat after a case was filed against him on April 30. He was reportedly found drunk while travelling in an Ertiga during duty for the Chief Minister’s visit to Jakhau in Kutch. The vehicle was stopped by another police team at Abada Dada Circle in Naliya for speeding.
A 750 ml open bottle of liquor was found in the vehicle, and both Chauhan and a companion, Ranjit Maheshwari, were allegedly under the influence. Two separate FIRs were registered, and Chauhan was immediately suspended and transferred.
Suicide note blames senior officers for harassment
According to his family, Chauhan had taken leave after the transfer and returned to his home in Asopalav Society, Palanpur, where he died by suicide. A suicide note recovered from the scene reportedly blames senior officers for mental harassment. His relatives have demanded that the police register a case and take action against those named in the letter.
Chauhan hailed from Jagana village in Palanpur taluka, and his sudden death has left the family in shock.
Suicide puts spotlight on state’s prohibition policy
While Gujarat is a dry state, Chauhan’s case highlights the ongoing challenges in enforcement — not just among civilians, but within the police force itself. The irony is stark: officers tasked with enforcing prohibition laws are often found violating the very rules they are meant to uphold.
According to 2024 data, 8.2 million liquor bottles worth ₹144 crore were seized in Gujarat, amounting to one bottle every four seconds. Multiple reports in recent years have linked police personnel to liquor smuggling and sales rackets.
Chauhan’s suicide raises uncomfortable questions not just about alcohol abuse in uniform, but about the institutional response to disciplinary violations—often punitive rather than rehabilitative.
The case is under further investigation, and authorities have not yet commented on the suicide note or the family's demands.
According to relatives, Chauhan left behind a suicide note in which he blamed senior officers for mental harassment. The family has demanded legal action against the responsible authorities based on the content of the note.
A case had been filed against Chauhan on April 30 at Naliya Police Station. During the Chief Minister’s programme at Jakhau, Chauhan was en route in a vehicle when a police team at Abada Dada Circle in Naliya stopped the car for speeding.
Upon inspection, Chauhan and another individual, Ranjit Maheshwari, were found to be under the influence of alcohol. An open bottle of 750 ml alcohol was recovered from their Ertiga car, leading to two separate cases being registered. Following the incident, Chauhan was suspended and transferred from Bhuj Headquarters to rural Surat as a disciplinary measure.
Despite Gujarat being a ‘dry state’, this tragic incident involving a police officer’s suicide due to alcohol-related disciplinary action raises serious concerns. It exposes the prevalence of alcohol consumption even among the police force—tasked with enforcing prohibition laws—and casts doubt on the government’s claims of successful enforcement.
Startlingly, in Gujarat, one bottle of liquor is reportedly seized every four seconds. There have also been multiple reports of police involvement in liquor smuggling. According to 2024 data, authorities seized 8.2 million bottles of liquor worth ₹144 crore across the state.
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