Thiruvananthapuram, 17 Oct (H.S.): Disciplinary action has been recommended against Cantonment Station House Officer Satheesh Kumar after an inquiry found fault with a Facebook post he published following clashes at the University Hostel and subsequent protests outside his residence.

City Police Commissioner Arul B. Krishna, who examined the incident, reportedly concluded that the officer’s conduct was inconsistent with the standards expected of a uniformed police official. The recommendation follows the inquiry’s finding that Kumar had committed a lapse by posting the objectionable remarks on social media.

The commissioner has submitted his report to South Zone Inspector General Nishanthini for further consideration.

In his explanation, Kumar said he had published the post in a moment of sudden provocation after Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and Students’ Federation of India (SFI) activists organised a protest march to his house.

The demonstration followed police action at the University Hostel, where a clash had taken place. Kumar linked his social media response to the protest outside his residence, maintaining that the circumstances had prompted an emotional reaction.

However, the inquiry report rejected emotional distress as a justification for such conduct. It observed that police personnel should not respond to personally upsetting situations by publishing inappropriate posts on social media.

The report’s central finding was that an officer’s professional responsibilities extend to public statements made online. Kumar’s explanation, according to the inquiry findings, did not excuse the lapse identified in his conduct.

The recommendation concerns the Facebook post published in the aftermath of the hostel incident and the march to his residence. The information available does not specify the disciplinary penalty proposed against the officer.

With the commissioner’s findings now submitted to the South Zone IG, the matter awaits further action. No final disciplinary order against Kumar has been announced in the information available concerning the inquiry so far.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman