PATHANAPURAM: Two police officers, including a Grade SI, have been suspended on charges of patrolling in a police control room vehicle while drunk. Control room Grade SI Sumesh and CPO Mahesh have been suspended pending investigation.

The action was taken on the instructions of Rural Police Chief K.M. Sabu Mathew. The incident took place on the morning of the 4th. The locals stopped the two police officers who were patrolling in Pathanapuram near the hospital junction, accusing them of being drunk. Despite the locals' demand, they did not get out of the vehicle. They then hit the locals who tried to stop them and drove away at high speed. The two did not inform the station or the control room about the attack.

However, the footage of the incident went viral on social media the other day. This led to a departmental inquiry. Sumesh has been subject to action several times before for coming to duty drunk.