Police officer suspended Over Pro-LDF Facebook comment in Kerala

A civil police officer has been suspended for allegedly violating service conduct rules by posting a politically sensitive comment on Facebook in support of an LDF candidate.

The suspended officer, Vyshakhan Satheesan, was attached to Pangode police station. The action was taken by the District Police Chief (Thiruvananthapuram Rural) Juvanapudi Mahesh following an internal inquiry.

The suspended officer purportedly was found to have commented on a media organisation’s Facebook post, stating that the LDF candidate in Vamanapuram Assembly constituency, D.K. Murali, would win the election.

The comment was found to amount to a breach of conduct rules applicable to government employees, which prohibit public expression of political bias. The suspension order also observed that the act brought disrepute to the police force and undermined its neutrality.