{
  "id": 862046,
  "title": "Kerala’s Congress MLA C.R. Mahesh apologises for seat belt violation",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/keralas-congress-mla-c-r-mahesh-apologises-for-seat-belt-violation",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-14T10:53:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/keralas-congress-mla-cr-mahesh-apologises-for-seat-belt-violation/article71345148.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kerala's Congress MLA C.R. Mahesh apologized on Friday (August 14, 2026) for traveling without wearing a seat belt, acknowledging it as a violation of traffic rules and expressing regret for the oversight. The incident occurred while he was on his way to visit the tomb of former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy at Puthuppally church prior to the 2026 Assembly elections. Mahesh, in a Facebook post, admitted that such mistakes are made by many individuals, but emphasized that elected representatives should not commit such lapses. He mentioned that he had already paid the fines for all such instances during his election campaign, but assured that he would ensure payment if this was not the case and take measures to prevent any recurrence. Mahesh issued the statement following the incident's coverage by visual media, thanking them for bringing the mistake to light.",
  "summary": "In a Facebook post, the Karunagappally MLA says travelling without a seat belt is against the law and admits that such a mistake happened on his part",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}