A police officer in Kerala’s Idukki district has been placed under suspension for sharing an anti-Muslim post on his personal Facebook account. The suspended officer, Vijesh K., was a grade sub-inspector attached to the Thodupuzha police station.
Vijesh shared a video on Facebook, depicting the destruction of an Athapookkalam, a traditional floral carpet associated with the Onam festival, with comments allegedly targeting the Muslims. The video went viral on social media and purportedly showed a young woman wearing a hijab kicking the floral arrangement.
The video circulated with claims that the incident occurred in Ernakulam district. In his post, Vijesh alleged that CCTV footage had revealed the identity of the person responsible, after the damage was initially attributed to a dog. He accompanied the post with remarks directed against the Muslims.
Following the circulation of the post, the Muslim Youth League filed a formal complaint with the Thodupuzha police, demanding action against the officer. District Police Chief A. Naseem directed the Thodupuzha DSP to submit an inquiry report. Based on the findings of that inquiry, the officer was placed under suspension on Aug. 28.
In the suspension order, the District Police Chief confirmed that an internal verification established that Vijesh had shared the derogatory post. The order said the act constituted a serious violation and damaged the reputation of the police force.